Neighbors meet their SLO, get safety tips
RESIDENTS GATHER and listen to their Officer Daniel Chavez.
Thirty residents of Ridgewood Wilton Neighborhood Association met with their Senior Lead Officer (SLO) Daniel Chavez of Olympic Division at a resident’s home on Oct. 21 to discuss local break-ins, home safety, and prostitution.
The first comment was about prostitution. “It’s out of control,” said Sheila Hoyer of Wilton Drive. Chavez was glad she brought it up. Two of his four days on patrol are dedicated to the issue. His division has Vice Units that come out four times a month. The L.A. City District Attorney is targeting Johns, the men who engage the sex workers, as a means to mitigate the activity. He told the group that Council District 13 (CD13) just signed a contract with Journey Out, a nonprofit that helps victims of sex trafficking. He’s hopeful this will have an impact on the situation that has plagued Western Avenue for 20 years.
One resident suggested another way to combat prostitution in the area would be to send traffic enforcement in the middle of the night since the area is a preferential parking district. Chavez said he will follow-up with parking enforcement to patrol the area.
He also offered to walk through properties to find weak areas at resident’s homes. He suggested saying hello to anyone seen walking around the neighborhood so potential criminals know that they’ve been seen.
Lastly, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has facial recognition software. If anyone has video of suspicious people, email it to him so there’s a record.
He explained that senior lead officers are liaisons between the community and the LAPD, council districts, city agencies, and private companies. He encouraged all attendees to reach out to him, via text or email, about issues involving the community. He wants to know what’s going on so he can help. “Utilize me as a resource,” he said.
Kate Corsmeier, a resident for more than 20 years, said, “Olympic Division have been guardians of this area, I commend you and your work. You don’t feel like an outside force, you care.” Chavez responded, “Olympic officers do care. This is my home.”
Category: Real Estate
