The Venice Stakeholders Association joins other Venice neighborhood groups in urging Mayor Villaraigosa, Councilman Rosendahl and Chief Beck to maintain additional police officers on a permanent basis.
Dear Mayor Villaraigosa, Councilman Rosendahl, Chief Beck and Captain Peters:
The Venice Community was very pleased to see that the City of Los Angeles committed 21 additional officers to the community policing effort starting in May of this year. Their presence has made a huge difference to the safety and security of both residents and visitors and we deeply value this increased police presence. However, apparently there is some consideration by the LAPD to transfer these officers out of the community starting in January. We strongly encourage you, Mayor Villaigosa, Councilman Rosendahl, Chief Beck and Captain Peters, to maintain their deployment in Venice on a permanent basis.
Our Community is deluged with visitors, transients and a high level of criminal activity all year long. While the number of tourists may decline in the winter, the number of transients and criminals does not. We understand that in past years that as the LAPD transferred the summer detail out in September crime increased. Without these extra officers, those already in our midst or within easy distance, who are inclined to commit crime, feel less restrained.
Venice produces a very large portion of property and sales tax revenue due to its attraction but bears the brunt of its popularity with intense problems. We are asking for additional permanent policing because clearly we need it and secondly because Venice is a significant source of tax revenue for the City. We believe it is only fair and reasonable that an area that competes with Disneyland as a popular regional destination and with downtown Los Angeles for complex transient problems should reasonably have adequate police support.
Please maintain this deployment so that the great progress that Captain Peters and his LAPD Pacific Division has made can be maintained for the benefit of the citizens of Venice and the many other Angelinos who enjoy visiting Venice.
Sincerely,
The Community Organizations of Venice and the Marina Peninsula
Marina Peninsula Neighborhood Association Inc. (Mark Winter)
Venice Stakeholders Association (Mark Ryavec)
Washington Retail and Restaurants (Clabe Hartley – The Cow)
Oxford Triangle (Steve Freedman)
The Venice Canals Association (Renee Kaplan)
Voice of the Canals (Darryl DuFay)
Presidents Row Neighborhood Association (Harris Levey)
Venice Chamber of Commerce (Alex Rosales)
