Chief Michel Moore
Los Angeles Police Department
Michel.Moore@lapd.online
Dear Chief Moore,
I am writing on behalf of many Venice residents to ask that you retain Patrol Commander James Roberts in Pacific Division.
I have lived in Venice for over 30 years and been president of Venice Stakeholders Association for ten years.
In all of my time working on public safety issues in Venice and Pacific Division I have never seen as dedicated, responsive, creative, effective and respectful a commander as Captain Roberts.
He has worked tirelessly, and collaboratively, with residents and his Pacific Division team to address the unique public safety issues of our community.
With only a year and a half on duty here, he has come up to speed quickly on the underlying circumstances we face: one of the largest visitor-serving destinations in the U.S. intersecting a highly problematic and service-resistant transient population, along with an open, illicit drug market and bicycle theft operations, combined with recent court decisions which severely limit the LAPD's enforcement options.
Despite these challenges, he and his officers, along with Commander James Setzer, have made more progress in addressing crime and restoring safety for the public at Venice Beach and in the community, in a short period, than any other commander has accomplished since Jon Peters.
Captain Roberts is now starting to implement several new initiatives, including returning to pairing social service workers with LAPD officers in a combined outreach to the large homeless population. He should be given the opportunity to follow-through on this and other plans to address our chronic crime, homelessness and safety issues.
Please do not squander all the relationships and learning the good captain has acquired in his tenure here.
Keep Captain Roberts on the job in Venice!
Thank you for your consideration.
Mark Ryavec
President, Venice Stakeholders Association
The Venice Stakeholders Association is dedicated to civic improvement. The VSA supports slow growth, protection of the limits of the Venice Local Coastal Specific Plan, neighborhood safety, better traffic circulation, increased parking for residents, neighborhood beautification projects, historic preservation and protection of coastal waters.
