Public Safety: Getting Back to Basics

Public safety starts with a well-funded LAPD and a city government that actually does its job, so officers aren't left compensating for failed policies and mismanagement.

What I'll Do

More Officers in Neighborhoods

I'll fight for at least 10,000 sworn LAPD officers and demand transparency about staffing: how many officers are stuck doing paperwork that civilian staff could handle? Let's get trained officers back on patrol where they belong.

I'll attend every academy graduation, hold regular working sessions with station captains, and make sure Hollywood, Silver Lake, Echo Park, Atwater Village, and Larchmont get the resources we deserve.

Visible Policing That Works

I'll expand Neighborhood Watch programs that support LAPD, not replace them, and advocate for foot patrols in areas where visible presence actually deters crime, dealing, and prostitution.

Gang graffiti isn't just vandalism. It's territorial marking that signals violence is coming. I'll push for rapid removal with clear response-time metrics and make sure patterns get shared with gang units so we can act before violence escalates.

Clean Streets, Real Enforcement

This is where broken windows theory meets daily reality.

I'll enforce against abandoned RVs and long-term encampments near schools, parks, and residential blocks using coordinated operations—LAPD, Sanitation, outreach teams working together, not officers handling it alone.

There's a difference between people who are simply unhoused and encampments being used as shells for prostitution, drug sales, and organized theft. I'll prioritize enforcement at locations tied to criminal activity and back it up with real consequences, not symbolic gestures.

Street vending: Clear, enforceable rules. Targeted enforcement against unpermitted vending, counterfeit goods, and gang-controlled operations, especially around schools and transit stops.

Basic infrastructure: Fixed sidewalks, working streetlights, clean alleys—on a predictable schedule, especially in high-crime corridors. Officers shouldn't be policing in darkness and decay.

Problem Bars and Chronic Nuisances

I love Hollywood's nightlife. I bartended here in the '90s. But the small number of locations generating constant violence, health violations, and calls for service? Those endanger everyone—patrons, neighbors, and officers.

I'll work with LAPD, County Health, and ABC to address truly chronic problem operators through targeted inspections, formal opposition to license extensions, and closure actions when necessary. The goal is reducing officer risk at the worst locations, not punishing compliant businesses.

How We'll Pay for It

Stop Wasting Money We Already Have

The city sits on millions in restricted funds—old Quimby accounts, mitigation dollars, dormant art set-asides—that often aren't spent for years because projects never happen or rules are too narrow.

I'll require public reviews every five years: deliver the project, reinvest in the same policy area, or reallocate to core services like public safety, street repair, and lighting. Every change will be transparent and justified.

Make Parking Revenue Work for Safety

Any parking revenue exceeding DOT's operating costs should be reported quarterly and restricted to visible safety improvements: street repair, lighting, curb management, neighborhood safety.

Civilianize the Right Roles

Hire civilian staff for clerical and administrative work, freeing officers for sworn duties. But do it smart, with data and LAPD input, not just for budget optics.

Why This Matters

After 30 years in this district, founding nonprofits, building businesses, spending nine years volunteering in California prisons working on reentry, I understand what officers face daily. Public safety requires both strong enforcement and competent civilian systems.

I won't shy away from enforcement on gangs, encampments tied to crime, unregulated vending, and chronic nuisances. But I also won't ask LAPD to be the only tool the city uses.

Within my first year: More officers in neighborhoods. Better alley cleaning, RV enforcement, gang graffiti removal. Real accountability on special funds and parking revenue.

Within two years: Officers can say City Hall is actually supporting them. The worst chronic locations are being addressed with real consequences. Other city departments are carrying their share.

Public safety isn't complicated. It's about doing the basics well and backing the people who do the hardest work.