DOWNTOWN PLAZA AND ADJOINING AREAS - UNSAFE FOR WOMEN AFTER 10 PM

By Jack Janken

Aggressive coordinated efforts are required to address public safety, nuisance, and related issues to make the Plaza and adjoining areas SAFE and INVITING, minimizing or eliminating any public nuisances, crimes, and other adverse and detrimental impacts on businesses and resident quality of life.

By not addressing this problem (and the resulting lawsuits) with effective supervision and the expenditure of adequate funds to provide sufficient law enforcement, this makes the downtown pier plaza and adjoining areas only APPEAR as a major source of City revenue.

Efforts MUST focus on alcohol related problems and crimes caused by out of control revelers that inundate these areas. Therefore, Jack will lead and assist in the definition, implementation, coordination, and progress monitoring of multiple organized efforts utilizing, in addition to the Police Department and other City management and staff, the substantial additional available public resources of the South Bay DUI Task force and the Alcoholic Beverage Commission ("ABC", previously "unwelcome" in Hermosa Beach). It will also include the active involvement of residents and business communicating and working together cooperatively through a Community Involvement Program.

Jack is unique in that he has, and will expend, the time and effort required to lead and assist in this determined effort to ensure that its goal is achieved with negligible, if any, additional cost to the City. Focus will be on:

1) Roving Police Officer foot patrols in the affected areas during prime problem hours 2) DUI Checkpoints 3) ABC inspections and code enforcement 4) Police and other City Staff: active monitoring and strict enforcement of CUPs, occupancy, noise, and all other code and license restrictions. 5) Regular reports to the City Council from the CIP program, providing feedback from residents and business. 6) Regular Council review of crime reports and statistics

Specifically:

o Patrol and Enforcement Plan - Develop, implement, monitor, and evaluate a plan, including staff and funding requirements and available resources to (a) provide roving Police Officer foot patrols in the affected areas during prime problem hours, and (b) to enforce all Hermosa Beach and State (ABC) codes, and alcohol license, CUP, and "Encroachment Permit" restrictions.

o Alcoholic Beverage Commission - "ABC" is a special fund agency. Its budget and programs are funded entirely by license fees from the alcoholic beverage industry.

Heretofore, the ABC and its substantial resources have been "UNWELCOME" in Hermosa Beach. We will make the ABC "WELCOME" and utilize its available programs including enforcement staff, and GRANTS to the City for any related purposes including police officer overtime pay. (http://www.abc.ca.gov).

Enforcement: ABC Investigators: They are peace officers under the California Penal Code and are empowered to investigate and make arrests for violations of the Business and Professions Code that occur on or about licensed premises, and to enforce any penal provisions of the law. Licensees who violate State laws or local ordinances are subject to disciplinary action and may have their licenses suspended or revoked.

Grant Assistance Program to Local Law Enforcement: Its mission is to work with law enforcement agencies to develop an effective, comprehensive and strategic approach to eliminating the crime and public nuisance problems associated with problem alcoholic beverage outlets, and then institutionalize those approaches within the local police agency. The main success of the program has been its effectiveness in strengthening the working relationship between ABC and the various local law enforcement agencies in California. This State and local partnership results in a more effective use of human resources, a reduction in crime, and a more efficient use of taxpayer funds.

LEAD (Licensee Education on Alcohol and Drugs) Program: This highly successful free, voluntary prevention and education program for retail licensees, their employees and applicants will be made mandatory in Hermosa Beach. The mission of the LEAD Program is to provide high quality, effective and educationally sound training on alcohol responsibility and the law to California retail licensees and their employees. It provides them with practical information on serving alcoholic beverages responsibly and legally, and preventing illicit drug activity at the licensed establishment.

o D.U.I Checkpoints utilizing the "South Bay DUI Task Force", and periodic D.U.I Eradication By Aerial Enforcement (D.E.B.A.E.)

In addition concerted and repeated D.U.I Checkpoints utilizing the "South Bay DUI Task Force", obtain grants from the California Office of Traffic Safety (O.T.S.) for D.U.I. enforcement using the highly successful D.E.B.A.E. helicopter to arrest more D.U.I. suspects using less overtime and less manpower (nearly 5 times less manpower). Other proven advantages include (a) maintains a "mobile target area", alleviating traffic delays caused at a fixed checkpoint, (b) word of a "D.U.I. checkpoint" does not get around the local bars (allowing drunk drivers to avoid being stopped), and (c) the publicity generated as a result of operation D.E.B.A.E. serves as a deterrent to drunk driving in itself.

http://www.alea.org/public/airbeat/back_issues/may_jun_2004/drunk_drivers.htm

Again, CONTRARY to the assertions by certain members of the City Council, the "STATISTICS" show that: Assaults, Arrests, Criminal Citations and Disturbance Calls have reached All-Time Highs in Hermosa Beach since 1991. Since the Pier Plaza renovation, Assaults are Up 85%, Arrests are Up 128%, Criminal Citations Up 152% and Disturbance Calls Up 31%, from 1998 to 2004.

NOTE: Hermosa Beach has 2.4 times more retail alcohol outlets per square mile than Manhattan Beach.

Rather than addressing these problems, the current City Council instead appears to prefer to try to diffuse this situation by making MISLEADING or FALSE and conflicting statements:

Councilman Reviczky (Candidate Statement):

"Crime continues to decline"

Councilman Sam Edgerton (Easy Reader - December 18, 2003):

He reportedly said crime that has gone down citywide since the Plaza was built, and critics overstate the problems that do exist. "It's a lot better," Edgerton said. "It's not perfect, but I wouldn't criticize it as horrible, because there aren't the statistics to prove it."

Easy Reader - December 18, 2003: The Plaza's price tag for popularity by Robb Fulcher

Councilman Reviczky:

- "After 9 o'clock the fights start, and the noise is unbearable," he said. "...Then everybody throws up and urinates on the way home. If you don't think that happens, come down with me in a police car and I'll show you."'

- "Until you fix that crowd you're not going to get any of the high-class clientele down there," Reviczky said. "...If you don't want the 50-cent bar crowd, don't sell 50-cent beer. If you don't want gang bangers, don't play music that attracts them."

- "I don't like the crowd that's down there," Reviczky said.

Most disturbing, regarding the ongoing FBI investigations of the City (and the beginning of Federal Grand Jury proceedings), resulting from the filing of complaints and petitions signed by several hundred residents, one councilman, in arrogance, was quoted by the local newspapers as stating: "It's a big yawn."

If only that were true.