Creating a safe, welcoming environment for everyone who lives, works, and visits the Media District tops the BID’s list of priorities, and thanks to its Public Safety team, some significant strides have been made in this area. Service calls throughout the District were up 27% in December from the previous month for a year-end total of 1,598. Incident reports (5) remained steady for a total of 137 in 2021. However, reports of vandalism doubled from November to December, leaving 57 total incidents recorded over the course of the year. Whereas the city of Los Angeles saw a significant increase in homelessness in 2021, the Media District’s Public Safety team reduced the BID’s unhoused residents by nearly half during the same 12-month period. Several city, county, and private agencies have praised their efforts.
Public Safety Captain Bill Stankiewicz attributes this success to a change in the team’s approach when engaging with the District’s homeless population. For instance, in December, Public Safety officers passed out bottles of water and mylar blankets among the unhoused in order to build a rapport with the community. Stankiewicz expects to further decrease the BID’s unhoused population in 2022 “by offering real solutions in a kind and compassionate way.” Its efforts have already shown some results. After the last District census, seven unhoused persons submitted requests to the L.A. Homeless Outreach Portal (LA-HOP) for public assistance.
In 2021, the Public Safety Team eliminated vehicles in lieu of bike and foot patrols. Not only did this reduce fuel and maintenance costs, it also made officers more approachable to stakeholders, visitors, and the general public. This will continue as part of the team’s new Ambassador Program that rolled out for 2022.
For its part, CleanStreet received 92 service requests via the Media District’s online portal during December 2021. The team collected approximately nine tons of pedestrian trash, 10.5 tons of sidewalk and street sweepings, and 150 oversized or bulky items were removed. The team also carried out 32 hours of pressure washing in an effort to clean up District bus stops, sidewalks, and encampments.