Miracle Mile Patrol

News and Links

2008-09-16T20:47:00.000-07:00

Directory of measures/propositions on LA County ballots for November election (Smartvoter.org)

5600 Wilshire leasing (Curbed)

Viridian temporary price drop (Curbed)*

LAPD will announce way to send anonymous tips via text or e-mail (LAist)

DONE concerned about conflict of interest in Neighborhood Councils (CityWatch)

"LA needs clearer vision for Neighborhood Councils" (CityWatch)

True Love the Play, by Miracle Mile resident Walter Williamson, now through October 12

Save Griffith Park

Apartments at risk due to zoning changes

* full disclosure: this blogger sent in the original question.

News Roundup July 13

2008-07-13T22:15:00.000-07:00

LAPD is reporting that a 13 year old Asian girl is missing from her home in the 600 block of South Dunsmuir. She was last seen [July 10] at 7am.

City proposal to encourage productions to film locally (Curbed)
Bob's Big Boy to make way for BMW dealership (Curbed)
Miracle Mile - city's "hair district"? (Militant Angeleno)
Mandeville Canyon motorist v. cyclist road rage incident sparks controversy
LAPD shoots suspect at Fairfax/Olympic/San Vicente intersection after failed robbery (LA Times)
Unofficial results for Mid-City West Neighborhood Council elections.

Events
Wilshire Corridor Forum III Friday July 18, 11am-1:30pm see Chamber of Commerce website for further details
Miracle Mile Art Walk, Saturday July 19, noon-5pm

News Roundup, June 25

2008-06-25T22:52:00.000-07:00

EVENTS
Welcome reception for Captain Eric T. Davis of the Wilshire Police Station
Monday June 30 2008, 7pm-9pm, Nate Holden Performing Arts Center, 4718 W. Washington Blvd.

MID-CITY WEST NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL ELECTION: JULY 1, 2008, 2-8pm HANCOCK PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, 408 S. FAIRFAX AVE. Member Zach Shepard is running for re-election. Don't forget to vote!

NEWS
Renters benefitting from vacant/foreclosed homes and condos (LA Times)

City Council proposal for public transit to Dodger Stadium beginning July 25 (LAist)

LAPD could lose 500 narcotic and anti-gang cops (LAist)

Rental prices for the Viridian (Curbed)

Update on 5600 Wilshire (Curbed)

Future project at Wilshire and La Jolla (Curbed)

-----

There is now a copy of the Framework Element EIR on FixLosAngeles.com. This EIR is being used as a mitigation for the New Housing Element that includes almost 113,000 new housing units in LA by 2014. It addresses air quality, water, power and the rest of our infrastructure. The EIR was done in 1996 and updated in 2001. The Framework Element also addresses how community plans will be updated and states that there are serious Environmental impacts but that they can be mitigated by the Framework EIR. We need to weigh in on this and comment.

Go to www.fixlosangeles.com. On the left hand side of the page is the main menu. Go to the bottom and find Library. Click on it and that will take you to the EIR page which has a Growth and Infrastructure button. That is the Framework Element EIR completed in 1996 and updated in 2001. This is being used as the EIR for the New Housing Element.

-----

Paul (the owner of Busby's) is starting a monthly neighborhood meeting for all of us to express any grievances (or positive comments too) about traffic, parking, noise etc. Also, if you have any problems with Busby's this is a good place to air these and speak to the owner about them. Please also feel free to give him positive feedback.

Paul asked that you all meet him the first Sunday of every month in front of Busby's from noon until 1pm and then you'll all go upstairs for free soft drinks, coffee and sandwiches and have a discussion. The first Sunday of every month starting next month.

2008-06-05T19:21:00.001-07:00

To our neighbors in Saint Andrews Square, Rampart, Pico Union, Miracle Mile, Koreatown, Country Club Park,

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-billboard18apr18,0,878485.story

Time to address the BILLBOARD DISTRICTS along Olympic and Wilshire (St Andrews to Vermont) being proposed by Herb Wesson district 10 and Tom LaBonge.

This will have lasting effect on us all. It deeply effects the hearts and minds of our cities children and youth, and will be surrounding 3 - 6 of our metro trains stations and along our major corradors. What of our historic buildings, our Temples, Churches along Wilshire to be blocked by billboards.

Megatron TV's, billboards, picture Time Square. Imagine the light for renters. We can anticipate them offering small things in return, like a children's or youth program or new sidewalks with .05% of the moneys earned. I will be VERY interested in others research on how much these billboards bring in monthly. For the TV megatrons, are we looking at 50k per month each? Could we eventually be talking about 30 million annually to major land owners big business, and a bit to our council members? Who can help us gather this information? With all or most of that profit going outside of the area, let along the country. All at the expense of our children, youth's quality of life. We need green space, not billboards.

Can you please forward to your committee so we can all join and support the Wilshire Center/Koreatown NEIGHBORS to stop this insanity. The Building sized billboards popping all over are illegal bilboards. No permit has gone thru for these, and there is a moritorium on them. Although approx $150k is set aside for enforcement of illegal signage, no one has acted on this. I think we should charge the major corporations (BMW, SONY, liquor companies) and the owner of the building who is collecting these illegal fees $2,000 each per day, retroactive, and use that money to build a skate board park for our youth, and get those bill boards out of our neighborhoods!

Can we count on a letter from your organization(s) or from you individually ? Might you forward this to those affected ?

Green space not billboards,

Tina Mata

Saint Andrews Square Neighborhood Association

News Roundup June 3

2008-06-03T19:11:00.000-07:00

Controversial plan to grant businesses PPD permits (LA Times)
Neighborhood Council Bill of Rights (CityWatch)
Apartments at Risk of Demolition (Apartments at Risk)
Support for the Expo Line (CityWatch)
History of the Miracle Mile post office building (Curbed)

there is a pop up store and archive for two local designers in the Chateau Burnside building for next week . Its a recession sale and there is a very exciting dollar room and amazing stuff for 5 10 15 dollars filling up a whole one bedroom app. Just to get an idea the sites are labelnyc.com and ankhbyracquel.com they are only sold at the label boutique in NY .Its a once in a lifetime event celebrating hard times with amazing stuff and a way to get to know our neighborhood.

News Roundup, May 14

2008-05-14T21:49:00.000-07:00

Housing/Development
Westsiders oppose Villairaigosa's density agenda (LAWeekly)
Editorial on Prop 98 (Sacramento Bee)
"Prop 98 Hidden Agenda for California June Primary Is Not So Far Beneath the Surface" (California Progress Report)
Marlowe in Hancock Park still under construction (Curbed)

Transportation/Parking
Parking ticket fines may increase (LAist)
Another community's debate over PPD (Curbed)

Miscellaneous
LADWP approves new rate plan based on two LA temperature zones (LAist)
New USGS report on California earthquakes (USGS)

Events
Miracle Mile Art Walk -- 12pm-5pm Saturday May 17. See MCW website for details.

ACTION
Used kids' hiking boots wanted for Donate-a-Pack program
Residents needed to speak about people driving the wrong way down one-way streets [particularly Detroit] and about the need for crosswalks on 3rd Street MCWCC Transportation, Parking & Streetscape Committee, June 3, 2008, 7pm, NCJW Building
Local Primary Election (with Props 98 and 99 on the ballot) June 3. Absentee ballots must be mailed by May 27 or hand-delivered between the 27th and the 3rd.
MCW Election July 2, 2008. Deadline to request vote-by-mail ballot is June 24, and such ballots must be returned by June 28. See City Clerk's website for further info.

News Roundup, May 5

2008-05-05T21:21:00.000-07:00

City
Local leaders against Prop 98 (Downtown News)
Judge halts Olympic/Pico One-Way Plan (LA Times)
LADWP asks citizens to reduce power usage and water usage. (LAist, LADWP, ABC7)
LA Public Library faces budget cuts. How you can help. (LAist, SaveLAPL)
City seeks to increase revenue by increasing street sweeping zones (LAist)

Miscellaneous
Candidate Filing Packet for Mid-City West Neighborhood Council elections (LACity.org)
Caleb Neelon painting on La Brea (LAist)

Events
MMAC Movie Night -- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind -- Wednesday, May 7, 8:00pm, Busby's
Information session for Mid-City West Community Council candidates: May 14, Hancock Park Elementary School auditorium, 6pm-8pm

ACTION
A letter from Jim O'Sullivan of the Miracle Mile Homeowners Association, about Density Bonus Ordinance lawsuit:

Denise
You may or may not have heard that a coalition was formed to fight SB 1818. We hired an Environmental Law firm, Chatten-Brown & Carstens and they filed on 4/14/08. So far we raised the funds for the retainer from Homeowner and Residential Groups (much faster that way) but I now what to broaden it out. We are still in the fundraising mode and we have arranged with the League of Residential Neighborhood Advocates (LRNA) to collect for us and issue a Tax exempt certificate from anyone who request it. We did this with an earlier issue and the result was fantastic. It allowed all stakeholders to become part of and have a stake in the legal action. Since your area would be a prime target for this new density bonus ordinance, with in my opinion devastating consequences I am asking you to forward this information to your group. They can send it far and wide. I am involved with some people in the Pico Union area who are also concerned about this ordinance.
I am attaching the filing and press release which tells the story.
We need to stick together and bring the City Council back to the table to craft a better ordinance or go the distance through the legal system with this issue. We can not afford to loose any more apartments anywhere in LA. Send tax exempt contributions to:

Leonard Hill
LRNA
4500 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90010

News Roundup, April 23

2008-04-23T20:39:00.000-07:00

Housing/Development
Construction watch: Le Melange on Fairfax (Curbed)
Record number of California home foreclosures (LA Times)
LA passes "green" building law (LA Times)
Is this Additional Services Agreement legal? (Curbed) (full disclosure: this blogger is commenter #4)

Law Enforcement/Crime
Hands-free cell phone law takes effect July 1 (LAist)
New officer in charge of LAPD blog (LAist)
Criminals posing as DWP workers (Inside SoCal)

The following incidents took place outside of our area, but please spread the word, and if you have any information about either, please contact the persons indicated in the articles.
School bus hit and run on Wilshire at New Hampshire -- LAPD seeks info (LAPD blog)
Police seek suspect in Molotov cocktail killing in Hollywood (LA Daily News)

City
Controversial $1-a-book reserve fee for LA libraries (LA Daily News)
Proposed trash fee hike to pay for police (LA Times)

Miscellaneous
LA's own National Park (LAist)
LADOT has a new website (LAist)

Links
LAPD Blog
LA Department of Transportation

Events
LA Times Festival of Books -- April 26 and 27, UCLA campus. (website)
MMAC Movie Night -- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind -- Wednesday, May 7, 8:00pm, Busby's

ACTION
A letter from Jim O'Sullivan of the Miracle Mile Homeowners Association, about Density Bonus Ordinance lawsuit:

Denise
You may or may not have heard that a coalition was formed to fight SB 1818. We hired an Environmental Law firm, Chatten-Brown & Carstens and they filed on 4/14/08. So far we raised the funds for the retainer from Homeowner and Residential Groups (much faster that way) but I now what to broaden it out. We are still in the fundraising mode and we have arranged with the League of Residential Neighborhood Advocates (LRNA) to collect for us and issue a Tax exempt certificate from anyone who request it. We did this with an earlier issue and the result was fantastic. It allowed all stakeholders to become part of and have a stake in the legal action. Since your area would be a prime target for this new density bonus ordinance, with in my opinion devastating consequences I am asking you to forward this information to your group. They can send it far and wide. I am involved with some people in the Pico Union area who are also concerned about this ordinance.
I am attaching the filing and press release which tells the story.
We need to stick together and bring the City Council back to the table to craft a better ordinance or go the distance through the legal system with this issue. We can not afford to loose any more apartments anywhere in LA. Send tax exempt contributions to:

Leonard Hill
LRNA
4500 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90010

A letter from Supervisor Yaroslavsky
(filing and press release to be posted on MMAC website)

---

One more day to speak up about the Wilshire subway:
Per Bill Bergstrom from the Chamber of Commerce, the MTA needs community support for long-range plans for Wilshire Blvd.
- MTA is developing their long range plan right now
- Wilshire should be a major part of that but officials need to see community support
- the Miracle Mile/ Wilshire Corridor community has not been heard from
- Wilshire Subway is one of several long range projects the Board is looking into
IF YOU SUPPORT THE WILSHIRE SUBWAY, PLEASE CONTACT THE MTA -- DEADLINE IS APRIL 25:
(213)922-2833
metroplan@metro.net

News Roundup, April 14

2008-04-14T19:37:00.000-07:00

Local Business
The Pig still empty (Eater)

Housing/Development
The first density bonus lawsuit (Curbed)
Zev Yaroslavsky on density (LA Times)
LA needs 113,000 new homes (Daily Breeze)(KABC)

Crime
Fire damages Wilshire office building -- arson suspected (Curbed)

City
DWP rates to go up (LAist)

Miscellaneous
Map ForYourArt lists museums, galleries, etc. throughout LA (Daily Candy)
Push for disposable bag fees (LAist)
USGS: chances of 6.7 or higher earthquake in next 30 years 97% (LA Times)

Events
Miracle Mile Art Walk -- Saturday, April 19, 12pm-5pm Reception and lecture 2pm at Korean Cultural Center (Flyer)
MMAC Movie Night -- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind -- Wednesday, May 7, 8:00pm, Busby's

Links
CityWatch LA -- an insider look at City Hall
Miracle Mile Residential Association

ACTION
Per Bill Bergstrom from the Chamber of Commerce, the MTA needs community support for long-range plans for Wilshire Blvd.
- MTA is developing their long range plan right now
- Wilshire should be a major part of that but officials need to see community support
- the Miracle Mile/ Wilshire Corridor community has not been heard from
- Wilshire Subway is one of several long range projects the Board is looking into
IF YOU SUPPORT THE WILSHIRE SUBWAY, PLEASE CONTACT THE MTA -- DEADLINE IS APRIL 25:
(213)922-2833
metroplan@metro.net

News Roundup, April 7

2008-04-07T19:27:00.000-07:00

Reserve officers patrol Hollywood (LA Times)
Opinion piece on LA's "density wars" (LA Times)

Events
Mid-City West Stakeholder Meeting -- Vote on Bylaws -- Tuesday, April 8, 7pm, 543 N. Fairfax Avenue (Proposed bylaw amendments)
Mid-City West Neighborhood Council Board Meeting -- Tuesday, April 8, 7:30pm 543 N. Fairfax Avenue (Agenda)
Miracle Mile Art Walk -- Saturday, April 19, 12pm-5pm
MMAC Movie Night -- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind -- Wednesday, May 7, 8:00pm, Busby's

ACTION
Per Bill Bergstrom from the Chamber of Commerce, the MTA needs community support for long-range plans for Wilshire Blvd.
- MTA is developing their long range plan right now
- Wilshire should be a major part of that but officials need to see community support
- the Miracle Mile/ Wilshire Corridor community has not been heard from
- April 25 is the deadline for public comment
- Wilshire Subway is one of several long range projects the Board is looking into
IF YOU SUPPORT THE WILSHIRE SUBWAY, PLEASE CONTACT THE MTA -- DEADLINE IS APRIL 25:
(213)922-2833
metroplan@metro.net

News Roundup, March 28

2008-03-27T23:36:00.000-07:00

Development
Daniel Murphy High School question and answer (Curbed)
New plan to cut down on red tape for developers (Curbed)
Five tenants for 5900 Wilshire (Globe St.)
Update on 5550 Wilshire (Curbed)

Local Businesses
Trader Joe's (or rumors of Ace Gallery?) relocating to La Brea car dealership (Curbed)

Transportation
Cellphone law may not make roads safer (LA Times)

Law Enforcement
Los Angeles under-policed; officers doing civilian jobs due to hiring freezes (Daily News) (LA Times)
Bratton: race may have played a role in recent shootings (Daily Breeze)

Housing
Another steep drop in housing prices (LA Times)
Renters priced out of LA (LA Times)
310,000 LA County homes being reassessed (Long Beach Press-Telegram)

City News
Delays in database of billboards in LA (LA Times)
West Hollywood's permit parking issues (West Hollywood News)
Feinstein questions elimination of public corruption unit in LA (LA Times)
Why LA has so few parks (LA Weekly)
Zoo admission prices up due to budget deficit (LAist)

Events
Mid-City West Transportation, Parking and Streetscape meeting -- 7pm Tuesday, April 1, National Council of Jewish Women, 543 N. Fairfax Avenue, Room 103 (Agenda) MMAC MEMBERS NEEDED TO ATTEND -- WILL ADDRESS TOW-AWAYS IN PPD 78
MMAC Free Movie Night -- When Harry Met Sally -- 8pm Wednesday, April 2, Busby's
LA Times Festival of Books -- April 26 and 27 (info on LAist)

Sites of Interest
Apartment Therapy Los Angeles (design, living well, related events) -- MMAC member Abby Stone writes for the site

News Roundup, March 20

2008-03-19T21:19:00.000-07:00

With all the tidbits of local news floating around the blogosphere, it's difficult to keep track of it all -- so, on a weekly basis, I'll be posting links to the latest Miracle Mile news and events and other local-interest items that affect our community. If anyone knows of any good locally-oriented blogs that I've left out, or if you have any other suggestions, please leave a comment! Recent news items are linked first, with the general list of sites below.

Development
Questions about old Miracle Mile Pontiac dealership (Curbed LA)
The first density bonus lawsuit (Curbed LA)
LACMA buys land on Wilshire Blvd. (Art Info)
Update on Park Wilshire (Curbed LA)

Local Business
Largo relocating to La Cienega (LAist)

Transportation
Los Angeles ranked #1 for worst urban roads (LAist)
Metro's Long-Range Transportation Plan (LAist)

City News
LA considers plan to raise trash fees (LA Times)
City prepares for layoffs (Daily News)

Events
Citywide Alliance of Neighborhood Councils -- March 22, 2008, 9:30am, LACC Faculty Center (agenda location and further info)
Mid-City West Public Safety meeting Tuesday, March 25, 7:30pm -- MMAC REPRESENTATIVE(S) NEEDED TO ATTEND! (agenda and location)
Mid-City West Land Use committee meeting Wednesday, March 26, 6:30pm (agenda and location)
MMAC Free Movie Night -- When Harry Met Sally -- Wednesday, April 2, 8pm, Busby's

Sites of Interest
LAist -- see their Neighborhood Project post on Miracle Mile here.
Curbed LA -- the archive of posts about our neighborhood can be found here.
LA Weekly
LA Times
LA Observed
Mid-City West Neighborhood Council
Park La Brea News/Beverly Press -- published weekly; includes Wilshire Division police blotter
LA Daily News
The El Rey
Busby's

off-street parking

2007-08-26T13:03:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone --

Thanks to the combined efforts of our group, Busby's management, the Chamber of Commerce, and Councilman LaBonge's office, we have more/safer options for parking in our area than we did just a few months ago. So, as "parking czar" for the MMAC, I'd like to know -- how many of you have taken advantage of the new opportunities? What have your experiences been? I know monthly parking fees can be pricey -- do you think it's worth the cost? Let us know what you think!

Liz

LAT article on 911 and cell phones

2007-08-26T06:52:00.000-07:00

Saw this item in the Los Angeles Times.

The reporters studied the challenges of the 911 system having to field so many calls many of which come from cell phones.

10pm-midnight, August 10, 2007 Patrol Report

2007-08-11T00:13:00.001-07:00

There were six of us on foot tonight in three teams.

We reported to 311 three street lights that were dark on Cochran and a couple on Hauser.

A bit before 11pm, we came across three people on Cloverdale who were wondering who we were with the yellow jackets. When we explained we were with the volunteer safety patrol, they proceeded to tell us about their neighbor in their apartment building who is using drugs and the parade of people going in and out of that apartment. They had called the police about it and were awaiting a response. Eric called one of his officer contacts and left a message.

They also told us about their Miracle Mile networking group on Yahoo Groups called, The Mile.

A little before midnight hundreds of bicycles streamed down Wilshire Blvd going westbound some of them running red lights. We were told that periodically on Friday nights there is a mass ride of bicyclists. We soon heard a lot of screaming and yelling coming from the intersection of Cochran and Wilshire. We went to investigate and saw that a motorist and bicyclist had collided and the two in the vehicle were engaged in a shouting match with half a dozen bicyclists.

Paramedics were called and the unit on Cochran and 3rd were soon on the scene. The rider appeared to be shaken up but was conscious as the paramedics checked him out. The LAPD had not yet arrived by the time I called it a night.

Feel free to add to this report of the events of the evening.

Smash up on 6th

2007-08-01T08:51:00.000-07:00

Hi y'all.
I was wondering if anyone happened to see a car swerving around 6th between Ridgeley and Burnside between 8PM Sunday night (7/30/07) and 8AM monday morning (7/31/07). My car was smashed in a hit and run. If anyone has any info please let me know. Nobody was hurt but I'm really bummed out, and my car needs some serious TLC. Thanks. Erin

Things to watch for

2007-07-15T22:05:00.000-07:00

Talked with a reserve police officer at my church this Sunday morning and shared with him about our patrol efforts. His suggestions:

(1) definitely let the local LAPD unit know we are out there
(2) trust your instincts about who doesn't seem to belong in the neighborhood
(3) be aware of people or cars who seem to checking out things, people at night who belong in the neighborhood are usually quite purposeful about getting to where they plan to be
(4) be alert to people following cars into underground parking - once in an underground parking lot, a car thief can easily break into several cars and not be observed by anyone

SATURDAY JULY 14, 2007

2007-07-15T00:08:00.000-07:00

The clear skies pushed the heat upward, leaving a cool tinge on my cheeks. Detective Cary and I entered establishment El Toro Cantina. Inside patrons occupied sporadic tables. Cary approached a tall husky gentleman and whispered the password.

The worker nodded and pointed us outside. We were quickly armed with flashlights and proceeded north on Detroit where we saw suspicious activity #1: a dirty paper bag.

We dismissed it and marched systematically until we reached Cochran. Detective Cary's experience spied the numerous failed streetlights. Coincidence or ploy? Having drilled the same scenario repeatedly, Detective Cary and I proceeded with military precision. Pushing forward, we scanned the area with our lights. "Clear!" declared the Detective. We noted this on our notepad and continued.

2301hrs: Southbound on Dunsmuir. I spotted suspicious activity #2. Lights flickered at the side of a building. Cary and I set up satellite outposts and observed a man with a flashlight; rummaging for recyclables. We regrouped and continued on our beat.

2321hrs: Movement in a dark alleyway. Further inspection revealed the culprits; two rats fighting over garbage.

2345hrs: Secret agent Abby called to check in. She had successfully perpetrated a high priority target and obtained the lethal weapons deemed mission critical: fried chicken and cake.

We exchanged secret hand signals and agreed to reconvene in precisely one month.

END OF TRANSMISSION>>>

Patrol of July 13, 10pm - midnight

2007-07-14T01:21:00.000-07:00

Warm night with lots of dog walkers. El Rey was in session and Busby was busy. We reported to 311 dark street lights: a number of them were out at Cochran and at Hauser.

We were heading home at midnight when a suspicious man walked past Cynthia, Dan and I as we walked north on Cochran. He turned around to follow us and we crossed the street and observed.

Since there was a large number of people still out and about we decided to continue to observe and began calling the police dept and mentioned to people on the streets that there was a suspecious person about and for them to be aware. We observed him for quite a few minutes as he went back and forth along the north side of 6th Street. But we lost him going south on Burnside toward Wilshire. We decided to continue down to Wilshire and go north on Ridgley. The LAPD unit arrived and we described what we observed and they began to drive around to look.

Dan continued north and Cynthia and I went south on Ridgley. We turned east onto Wilshire and I turned to look back and the man was at the corner at the Ralphs and began to follow us east bound on Wilshire. At this point, Cynthia and I were not eager to continue observing and so we sped down Wilshire and headed north onto Burnside when we observed the man in the Smart and Final parking lot heading toward us - was he thinking he could cut us off?

The LAPD vehicle was parked outside the parking lot but the officers were on foot and not in the car. The man saw the car and the gates so he turned away. We saw the officers walking back to their car and we reported what we saw. At that point, Cynthia and I called it a night and we went home leaving the job to the LAPD.

Issues:

(1) How should we handle such matters in the future?

(2) Cell phone communications is spotty in the area for Cingular. When I called 911 the operator said she couldn't hear me very well and I had to repeat my street locations a number of times. Also since she saw my 818 cell phone number on her screen I'm sure that added to the confusion.

(3) Cynthia and Dan also called 911 and some other numbers we have on file and I don't know what their experience was. But obviously one of our calls worked its way through the system as the LAPD was there in about ... 10 minutes?

(4) We should have some coordination with the LAPD Wilshire on the evenings we are out on foot. Perhaps we could have cut down the response time if we had a more direct link to the local unit in the area.

Anything else that Dan and Cynthia would like to add?

Friday Night Patrol, July 13, 2007 10pm to 12pm

2007-07-14T01:16:00.000-07:00

PURSE SNATCH ROBBERY - Cloverdale and Wilshire Blvd @ 1:20am
A man, unknown race, 6'2", wearing a tan performance fleece top and dark pants snatched a woman's purse at Cloverdale and Wilshire. MMSPer Daniel D. heard the woman scream and witnessed the suspect running north on Cloverdale towards 6th street. The LAPD showed up pretty quickly, about 3 minutes by Daniel D's estimation, possibly because they were already patroling the area due to the incident below. It's unknown if the suspect had a weapon.

SUSPICIOUS MAN - 600 block of Cochran Ave @12:15am
Around 12:15am, Rene, Cynthia, and I were walking home in the 600 block of Cochran when we spotted a suspicious looking man. He was about 6 feet tall, Caucasian, handlebar mustache, wearing a black trench coat, pants, shirt and hat. He appeared to be intoxicated, and possibly a vagrant, but he didn't look homeless. He walked south on Cochran and then looked at us, and walked back the way he came, to the north. He then walked west on 6th street on the north side of the street down to Burnside, where he started rifling through the bushes and walked back and forth for about a block, looking in the bushes for something. We called LAPD and continued to follow the man. He noticed us watching him and yelled at us from across the street. He then walked south on Burnside and we lost him around Burnside and Wilshire. LAPD showed up about 3 minutes after we lost him and patrolled the neighborhood. Rene, Cynthia and I split up and walked around the block. Cynthia and Rene were together and spotted the man walking through the Rite-Aid/Smart & Final parking lot. Unfortunately, they lost the man again around Ridgely and Wilshire and by the time Rene told the officers where they saw him, the man disappeared again. At that point the officers continued to patrol but we lost contact with the officers, so I don't know if they found him.

Before the officers, left, they said they were trying to catch a car burglar around Masselin and Wilshire who's been targeting the area and were hoping this was the guy.

First Weekend Patrol

2007-07-12T02:39:00.001-07:00

I patrolled last Friday night with Daniel D. and Rachel. It was a pretty uneventful evening, not many people out. No police or fire department activity in the neighborhood. As a matter of fact, I never saw one police car patrol the neighborhood from 12am to 2am.

One thing worth noting. I think it's a good idea for patrols to walk the alley between Detroit and La Brea Ave from 3rd street to Wilshire, just because I think it would be neglected if I didn't mention it here. Also, Friday night there were 3 or 4 homeless people living/sleeping in that alley, on the La Brea side (east side) of the alley. It struck me that it's possible they may be committing some of the petty crime in our neighborhood ie. breaking into cars. Try to shine a flashlight on their stuff just to see if there's any type of visible stolen property, tools, or broken glass around them.

I also chatted for a bit with the security guard from Busby's positioned on the Northeast corner of Wilshire and Cloverdale. I think it's a good idea to check in with him throughout the night as he is an extra set of eyes and ears for us.

I heard from Denise that the Saturday night patrol stayed together as they patrolled in a group of 5? It seems to me that we can be more effective if we split up in groups of 2 or 3. Obviously we can cover twice the ground if we have 2 groups instead of 1 and we'll also have a bigger presence in the neighborhood. The decision is the individuals patrolling, so I'm just making a suggestion here.

I'm also wondering what people are doing during their patrol. Are you just walking around the neighborhood aimlessly or are you actively looking for crime/suspicious activity? Do you stop and observe people, places, and things and stay stealthy, or do you walk and talk the whole time? I think it's important to focus on our environment when patrolling so that we can pick up subtle clues that a crime has been, is about to be, or is being committed.

I'll share what I do when I patrol:

1. Shine my flashlight into open garages, backyards, side walkways, sideyards, construction sites, and any other dark areas that I can't see into.
2. Look at and shine my flashlight at all parked cars and in the streets for signs of broken windows/glass/vehicle theft signs.
3. Investigate all suspicious persons such as people loitering on the sidewalks or in cars. I usually keep an eye on people from across the street or down the street and I try to be inconspicuous or hidden so they don't know they're being watched.
4. Investigate all suspicious sounds such as tires screeching, horns honking, glass breaking, yelling and screaming, banging sounds, etc.

I think it's important for us to take an offensive and aggressive posture when we are out patrolling. I'm sure that criminals see us first when we're out walking the streets. If they see that we look serious, I think there's a greater chance of them having second thoughts of committing a crime in our neighborhood. If we're walking down the street talking with each other oblivious to our environment, they probably will think we're harmless and wait for us to pass before they commit their crime, or worse, they will target us.

I'm not trying to tell anyone what to do, I just thought I'd start a dialog here so we can all get on the same page, be safe, and make our neighborhood a safer place.

Any thoughts, discussion, or ideas from anyone would be appreciated.

how to use?

2007-07-06T09:25:00.000-07:00

i'd love it if someone would clarify the responsibilites of the patrol. will they be providing escort service or is the patrol just doing a general walk around and reporting suspicious activity to the police?

thanks, dave

2007-07-05T20:03:00.000-07:00

let's all give Denise a real BIG atta girl!!!!! if it wasn't for Denise we wouldn't have this patrol. I'm sure with her guidance and enthusiasm we'll make a difference. I'm glad to be a part of this group......Linda B from plb -park labrea

Test

2007-07-04T23:57:00.000-07:00

Testing. I hope this works! Thanks for creating this Dave. You are awesome.

Miracle Mile Patrol Blog Now Setup

2007-07-04T19:28:00.000-07:00

Hello all:

Please use this to post information, patrol experiences or logs, discuss patrol issues, etc....

Remember the first official patrol is Friday night. Please meet at El Toro Cantina(downstairs from Busby's) to get your lights and form your group. Here is a video of Busby's and El Toro Cantina. http://losangeles.citysearch.com/review/44970936

Their address is: 5361 Wilshire Blvd, remember to ask for Paul, Paul, or Matt-they will be expecting you.

Thanks!

-Dave