Epsa Newsletter Fall 07

Newsletter

Echo Park Security Association

Fa l l 2 0 0 7

Select Patrol to Roll Out

Update on Recent Shootings

Foot Patrol in Business

By Northeast Division Senior Lead Officer Sonia Rimkunas Many Echo Park residents are a little on edge

due to the recent increase in gang activity in the Echo Park area. In this message, I will give you as much information as I can regarding these recent incidents, and tell you what we are currently doing and plan to do in the upcoming weeks about the situation. About a month ago, an Echo Park gang member was shot on Baxter Street. Our investigation of the shooting focuses on the Crazies gang, which claims a territory just west of Glendale Boulevard. The case is still open, with no current leads. Council President Eric Garcetti has posted a $25,000 reward for any information regarding this shooting. A few days ago we had a shooting near Reservoir Street and Liberty Street. Although the victim is not a documented gang member, he had a handgun and two different types of casings in his possession, implying that he had fired rounds at the

District This Fall, Select Patrol is planning to deploy a pair of bilingual security officers to patrol the Echo Park business district on foot. Initial coverage will be limited to three days a week (Thursday-Saturday), from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The concept of the foot patrol is based on the very popular foot beat provided intermittently by the LAPD. Early in September, Select Patrol distributed a survey in both English and Spanish to business owners throughout the Echo Park business community. The survey asked business owners their opinions about the foot beat and about general safety in the area. Survey responses showed support for the concept of a security foot patrol and signaled that such a program could be successful. The officers assigned to the foot beat will be armed. They will not be the same officers who currently serve in the EPSA-sponsored community patrol service line. The primary duty of the foot

New EPSA email address:

(see Shootings on pg. 2)

epsa@ echoparksecurity. org

LAPD Contacts

EPIA Hosts Meetings on Youth Violence

We are privileged to have Senior Lead

In response to the rash of shootings in Echo Park, the Echo Park Improvement Association is holding a series of meetings focusing on the organizations that deal with youth crime.

Officers (SLOs) from both Rampart and Northeast Divisions working on behalf of Echo Park: for our area. You can reach Officer Rimkunas

The second meeting, a panel of LAPD personnel, will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct.4, at Williams Hall, Barlow Hospital, 2000 Stadium Way.

at

Info: 323-882-4835

Sonia Rimkunas is the LAPD Northeast SLO

(213) 793-0760. The SLO for Rampart Division in Echo Park is Louis Ford. You can reach Officer Ford at EPSA

(323) 860-9914

P. O . B o x 2 6 2 0 1 L o s A n g e l e s , C A 9 0 0 2 6 1

** EPSA Newsletter

Shootings

Another shooting took place near Sunset Boulevard and Douglas Street. The victim was shot in the stomach and was listed in serious but stable condition. The victim and a second male were fired at by a male Hispanic suspect, most likely from a Rampart Division gang called LCM. The second male is a documented Echo Park gang member who had a weapon in his possession when the police arrived. He attempted to flee but was apprehended and arrested. Shortly after the above shooting, a shooting occurred on Kellam Street in the Rampart Division. The victim of this shooting is from Echo Park but has ties to the LCM gang. What the police are doing

•

•

Fa l l 2 0 0 7 * *

Foot Patrol (cont. from pg. 1)

(cont. from pg. 1)

suspects. The victim sustained injuries to his leg but was listed in stable condition. He gave no information about the incident, but police received one bit of information that we are following up on.

•

–

Rampart and Northeast Area gang detectives and officers have been exchanging information on the above shootings. We will have some extra patrol and gang enforcement in the area over the next few weeks. th

On October 4 , the Echo Park Improvement Association will host their monthly meeting at Barlow Hospital at 7 p.m. I will be in attendance. Hopefully, my Area Captain and some of our gang officers will be available for questions. Rampart Division Senior Lead Officer Lew Ford and I are hoping to resume our regular foot beats along Sunset, as soon as Lew is fully recovered from his recent surgery.

beat officers will be to deter criminal activity through their high-profile on the streets. Subscribers to the program will have the ability to summon the officers directly through a special dedicated telephone line. The officers may be directed to monitor or investigate suspicious activity, keep the peace and perform other community security functions. Select Patrol will offer the foot beat for $49 per month, and if the company generates the 100-plus subscribers necessary to start the program by November 1st, the foot beat officers will hit the streets Thursday, Dec. 6.

EPSA News & Events Reward Offered L.A. City Council is offering a reward of $25,000 for information about the murder of Michael Lezay on July 21, 2007. Contact Northeast Homicide detectives Carrillo or Governo at 213847-4261 or the Watch Commander at 213-4852563.

Community Safety Meetings The EPSA invites you to attend our regularly scheduled community safety meetings on the second Thursday of every month. LAPD Senior Lead Officers from both Northeast and Rampart divisions attend, and the format is open, informal and informative. All members of the residential and business community are welcome to discuss issues, share ideas and thoughts with your neighbors, make your concerns known to your LAPD representatives and hear the senior lead officers’ perspective on local events. The currently scheduled meetings are:

What you can do

Thursday, October 11, at 2:00 p.m.

Call in graffiti ASAP. If the graffiti is crossed out, please email me at [email protected] with the location and what the graffiti reads, if you are able to determine it.

Thursday, November 8, at 2:00 p.m.

Thank you all for your concern and diligence. Your help in the community is greatly appreciated.

EPSA

(323) 860-9914

Meetings are held at the LAPD Stop-In Center (at Echo Park Blvd. and Sunset, behind the Bank of America).

EPSA Joins BLEND EPSA became a member of the Northeast LAPD support group “Business for Law Enforcement Northeast Division,” known as BLEND. Earlier we joined the Rampart

P. O . B o x 2 6 2 0 1 L o s A n g e l e s , C A 9 0 0 2 6 2