Safety is the #1 Concern for South Park Residents. How Do We Accomplish This?
The “dot” sticker survey, held at the SPNA booth at “A Taste of South Park” in September, shows that security and increased patrols are the number one priority of South Park residents.
Sergeant Gordon Helper of LAPD has recently advised a group of residents that LAPD will increase foot and horse patrol in our neighborhood. The Social District (South Park Building Improvement District) with CD14 support has been adding more lights along 11th St. and Pico Blvd. Nolan Marshall, Executive Director of South Park, The Social District, said “rebranding is needed for economic development, and by having ground floor presence, we will have a safer neighborhood.” He wants investors to think about South Park differently since business growth in South Park has been stagnant.
I support adding more streetlights. I am in favor of rebranding if it is “economically responsible.” I personally like the idea of living in a “social district.” I welcome additional police presence (and better LAPD responsiveness) in our neighborhood. However, before we can successfully attract more retail store fronts, more investors, and more businesses, I believe we need to address safety (or perceived safety) for existing residents. To economically grow South Park, it is imperative that residents live here longer and spend money locally. Once we can substantiate an economically growing neighborhood, it should be “a slam dunk” to attract new investors and businesses which will, in turn, bring more residents.
What are the solutions for a safer district? More LAPD presence? L.A. City’s answer: there are not enough funds or trained personnel. More Social District ambassadors? Nolan Marshall’s answer: the BID is not a replacement for the LAPD. LAPD should be patrolling our neighborhood. Residential buildings hiring more private security? Building managers’ answer: rents and HOA fees are already too high.
The SPNA suggestion is to institute a shared camera network system utilizing existing external residential buildings and business cameras. Theoretically, the cameras that are already used for internal security may be tied to a separate, privacy protected network. Technology exists that can identify in real time activities focused on streets, sidewalks, and other public spaces as “normal,” “suspicious,” or “dangerous”. Imagine in the middle of the night a trained patrol person is prompted on an iPad that shows a potential criminal activity and promptly deciding to go to the spot to ignore, investigate, intervene, or alert LAPD.
We are starting our research and due diligence for meaningful security measures. We would like to hear your thoughts regarding your concern for safety and what solutions you would recommend.
By Marty Goldberg