The Hermosa Beach
Neighborhood Association
"Neighbors working
together for a better Hermosa Beach"
GO
TO THE:
2022 Hermosa Beach City
Council Debate Questions
______________________________________________________________
This 2022 Hermosa Beach Candidate Debate will be Broadcast Live
and Replayed on Cable
Spectrum Channel 8 and
Verizon FIOS Channel 31
______________________________________________________________
This Debate Will Also Be Available for Replay on the City’s YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/CityofHermosaBeach90254
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This Debate Will Also Be Available for Viewing Live Only on the City’s Zoom Channel:
Please click the link below to
watch the Debate Live via Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83075287787?pwd=ZDFuWnBWNW5IblAwRkZ5eGdJRjFGQT09
Webinar ID: 830 7528 7787
You Must Use This Zoom Passcode:
880658
______________________________________________________________
HBNA PRESS RELEASE:
The Hermosa Beach
Neighborhood Association will sponsor a Hermosa Beach City Council Candidate
Debate to be held on Wednesday, October 5, 2022
This City Council
Candidate Debate will take place in the: Hermosa Beach City Council
Chambers at 1315 Valley Drive from 7 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
All Hermosa Beach
residents and members of the public are invited to attend this candidate
debate.
Public Safety and
Quality of Life Issues in Hermosa Beach will be among the topics addressed by
each city council candidate.
The Future of
Residential and Commercial Development in Hermosa Beach will also be discussed
This Hermosa Beach City
Council candidate debate will also be broadcast live and
re-aired on Spectrum cable channel 8 and Frontier FIOS channel
31.
For additional
information you can go to the HBNA website at: www.HBneighborhood.org/
______________________________________________________________
Documents and Sources
used for the
2022 Hermosa Beach City
Council Debate -
October 5, 2022
_____________________________________________________________
Hermosa Beach Action Agenda 2016-2017
http://www.hermosabch.org/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=8006
______________________________________________________________
PLAN Hermosa - Integrated General Plan and Coastal Land Use Plan
http://www.hermosabch.org/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=9872
______________________________________________________________
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DOWNTOWN CORE REVITALIZATION STRATEGY -
PARKING STRATEGY
______________________________________________________________
DOWNTOWN CORE STRATEGIC
PLAN UPDATE
______________________________________________________________
Press Release: Los
Angeles County Dept. of Public Health
PRESS
RELEASE: Reducing Alcohol-Related Harms in Los Angeles County
______________________________________________________________
Los Angeles County Dept.
of Public Health Report:
Reducing
Alcohol-Related Harms in Los Angeles County - March 2011
______________________________________________________________
ICMA Police
Operations Report for the Hermosa Beach Police Department
http://www.hermosabch.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=3785
______________________________________________________________
State of California Department of Justice
Bureau of Criminal Information and Analysis
Criminal Justice Statistics Center – CJSC
CJCS Statistics Home Page: https://oag.ca.gov/crime/cjsc/stats/arrests
____________________________________________________________
FBI Uniform Crime Reportting (UCR)
Program –
https://ucr.fbi.gov/?came_from=https%3A//ucr.fbi.gov/word
UCR Offense Definitions - http://www.ucrdatatool.gov/offenses.cfm
______________________________________________________________
Hermosa Beach Police Department
Monthly Crime Statistics
http://www.hermosabch.org/index.aspx?page=634
______________________________________________________________
Hermosa Beach City
Council Meeting – February 23, 2016
Study Session: Downtown
Cost/Benefit Finance Analysis - 6:00 PM
Staff Report 16-0149 - DRAFT
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS, DOWNTOWN
1. Draft Downtown Cost Benefit Analysis Report 2-8-16.pdf
https://hermosabeach.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4255398&GUID=939F4470-609F-4487-B136-E4EA4B4FB5B1
2. Downtown Cost Benefit Public Comments and Responses.pdf
https://hermosabeach.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4259174&GUID=17588F92-8FED-4FBF-973D-96A7BA71DD76
___________________________________________________________
The Official - City of Hermosa Beach - Online Website
City of Hermosa Beach -
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
City of Hermosa Beach - Agendas, Minutes
& Video
______________________________________________________________
2015 CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE DEBATE - Now Online 24 Hours a
Day:
2015 Hermosa Beach City Council Debate on the City’s Granicus
Online System:
http://hermosabeach.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=6&clip_id=3977
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___________________________________________ Hermosa Beach Municipal Election
Information ________________________________________________ 2021
Hermosa Beach City Council Debate Questions 2019
Hermosa Beach City Council Debate Questions 2017 Hermosa Beach City Council Debate Questions 2016 Hermosa Beach City Council
Debate Questions 2015 Hermosa Beach City Council
Debate Questions ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ The
2013 & 2011 Hermosa Beach City Council Candidate
Debates are Now on YouTube: The 2011
HBNA Candidates Debate Video on YouTube. The 2011
HBNA Candidates Debate on the City's Granicus Video Hermosa
Beach 2009 City Council Candidate Debate Video ________________________________________________ Home Page
HB Web Community
Surveys
& Forums HB
Crime Info Hermosa Letters to the Editor's Hermosa
Beach History The Easy
Reader's " Best Of The Beach" for 2006 Photos of pedestrians using the 16th
Street and PCH crosswalk Hermosa
Beach & Manhattan Beach Crime Stats for 1998 to 2004 Comparison ________________________________________________ Official - CIty of Hermosa Beach Hompage City of Hermosa Beach - CALENDAR OF
EVENTS Hermosa Beach Municipal Election
Information ________________________________________________ Hermosa Beach Neighborhood
Watch Hompage . Compare the CA CJSC Crime
Statistics . Hermosa
Beach, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach
The Top Hermosa Beach News Stories:
<?hr?align="center" size="2"
width="100%">
Read all the Hermosa
Beach News from the HBNA Newsletters You can get The HBNA Newsletter. Please e-mail: thehbna@verizon.net |
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Compare
the Crime Statistics since the 1997 HB Pier Plaza Renovation for: Hermosa
Beach, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and El Segundo Hermosa Beach News Stories: KNBC-TV Burbank – April
10, 2007 Hermosa
Police Release Sketch Of The Man Who Tried To Rape Woman In Home Hermosa Beach Police
released a composite drawing Monday of a man who tried to rape a woman in her
Hermosa Beach home. The attempted rape occurred early Sunday morning in
the 700 block of Monterey Boulevard, said Hermosa Beach police Sgt. Paul
Wolcott. The man apparently entered the 28-year-old woman's residence
through an unlocked door, possibly after following her home, Wolcott said.
The man struggled with the woman, but she fought him off and he fled.
"Composite of
Attempted Rape Suspect" a 28 year old female
victim inside the victim's home. Suspect Description: Sex:
Male Race: Appeared Black, However
the victim described him as possibly mixed race Age:
Early 20's Hair:
Short/Black Eyes: Dark Height: 5'-10" to
6"0" Weight: 160-180 lbs. Additional Information: The suspect has soft rounded features and
smooth skin. No facial hair. He acted in a focused, methodical manner. the Hermosa Beach
Police Department @ (310) 318-0360. KCBS-TV -- April 10, 2007 - Attempted Rapist Terrifies Beach
Community - Hermosa Beach residents are urged to lock
their windows and doors after a woman was attacked and nearly raped in her
apartment. Suzie Suh reports. Aired on KCBS on 4/10/07. View this KCBS-TV News Story at the following weblink: http://www.cbs2.com/video/?id=37332@kcbs.dayport.com Hermosa signature drive gets cutthroat - Accusations include stalking in fight over
parking rule affecting the expansion of Baja Sharkeez. The popular tavern burned down in May. Decoys and diversions. Punching and spitting. Surveillance and
spying. It could be an action movie, a screwball comedy or a political
farce. Such were the shenanigans apparently under way in Hermosa Beach
this week as one resident rallied voters to oppose a city ordinance that
eases parking requirements downtown, and supporters of one Pier Plaza
business hustled to keep him from succeeding. Thursday was activist Jim
Lissner's deadline to collect signatures from
people opposing a new law that exempts Pier Plaza businesses from providing a
certain amount of on-site parking if they pay fees to the city -- an
ordinance crucial to an expansion plan for popular tavern Baja Sharkeez that burned down in May. Lissner had 30 days to gather signatures from 10 percent
of the city's voters in hopes of triggering a ballot referendum to repeal the
law, but the last leg of the drive has been marked by accusations of high
jinks, intimidation and violence from both sides. Carjack suspect pulled
out a metal knife or razor and held it to the victim's throat. Hermosa Police made an arrest after a man
allegedly cut two people with a knife or razor during a failed carjacking on
Monday. The man told the painter “I have a big truck
coming through and you need to move your van.” The man slid over, and
the painter hopped in behind the wheel and drove about 10 feet. Then
the man pulled out a metal knife or razor and held it to the painter’s throat
saying, “Keep driving or I will kill you,” a police report stated. Regarding Pier Plaza -
Ten Years Later . . .What Are The Results? The result, though, has
been an abundance of bars and restaurants that leaves a heavier emphasis on
nightlife in town, said Councilman J.R. Reviczky,
who voted to create a specific plan years ago. HB Council
seeks more control of Pier Plaza - Majority apparently would like to have greater
latitude in determining future businesses in the bustling
area. Hermosa Beach city officials hoped for success when they
approved plans more than a decade ago to turn lower Pier Avenue into an
open-air piazza decked out with palm trees, metal benches and nautical-style
lighting. And they got what they wanted: Pier Plaza today is a hefty
sales tax generator for the city and a bustling hot spot filled with families
looking for food and sunshine during the day, and young party animals
searching for a drink and a good time at night. But officials now want
more control of the thriving downtown's future. The date of the AVP tour in Hermosa Beach was moved to the third
weekend of May, a full two months earlier than in previous years. HB AVP Open
fees won't change this year - But volleyball event's dates are
moving -- to May -- and permit to add more paid seating was just for
July. South Bay beach
volleyball fans can count on another year of mostly free admission to the
Hermosa Beach Open after all. The tournament's owners will continue
charging admission to a quarter of spectators at this year's tournament,
rather than the 90 percent of fans approved last month by the California
Coastal Commission, said Dave Williams, market director for the Association
of Volleyball Professionals. The AVP has agreed to charge 25 percent of
spectators admission in exchange for moving Hermosa Beach's tournament up a
couple of months, said Teresa Henry, South Coast District manager for the
Coastal Commission. Traditionally a July event, this year's tournament
is now scheduled for May 17-20 to accommodate a recently added tournament
stop in Long Beach. HB Mother w/Kids, Robbed at Gunpoint in Home Police
identify suspects in Hermosa home invasion - Two men suspected of
barging into a Hermosa Beach home and robbing a woman at gunpoint in front of
her children are identified. Asi Sekona
was arrested on suspicion of parole violations, armed robbery, kidnapping,
possession of a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Sharkeez 2nd Floor Expansion is Approved, w/Outdoor Dining Sharkeez's plans to expand move forward – After a dramatic public hearing that touched upon some of the
core issues facing Hermosa Beach, the commission signed off on plans to
expand the business by a 4-1 vote. The decision was a clear victory for
the owners, Ron and Greg Newman. AVP "Hermosa Open" Allowed to Charge
for Beach Volleyball Seating AVP scores
with decision on beach volleyball ticket sales - Coastal panel's
ruling on charges in Hermosa Beach could affect Manhattan
decision. Association of
Volleyball Professionals proposed to charge all spectators admission fees at
the tournament scheduled for July 20-22. South Bay free beach
advocates were not pleased with the commission's decision. AVP may charge admission for spectators on the
last three days of the Hermosa Open volleyball tournament this summer. Full paid seating for Hermosa Open? - The California Coastal
Commission next week will discuss whether the AVP may charge admission for
all spectators on the concluding three days of the Hermosa Open pro beach
volleyball tournament this summer. The AVP’s application to the Coastal
Commission seeks to charge admission for about 10,400 spectators seated at
the event. A three-year contract with the City of Hermosa Beach states
that the city will allow the AVP to charge admission at any level granted by
the Coastal Commission. Two men suspected of breaking into a Hermosa
Beach house and robbing a mother at gunpoint in front of her children. Police
capture suspects in Hermosa home invasion - One man suffers a broken
leg while running from police officers. Another man is found hidden
nearby. Two men suspected of
breaking into a Hermosa Beach house and robbing a mother at gunpoint in front
of her children, were captured Tuesday following a chase into Redondo Beach,
police said. A Police Department report listed 507 responses
by officers in the downtown in 2006, including 354 reported as disturbances. HB
Nightspots move to police themselves - Owners of popular
downtown nightspots are getting together to “police” themselves and cut down
on excessive noise and rowdiness. A Police Department report listed 507
responses by officers in the downtown in 2006, including 354 reported as
disturbances, 42 as loud music, 41 as medical aids, 28 as batteries, 21 as
theft, one as rape, one as kidnapping and one as assault. HB
Zoning change hints at new facilities - Officially speaking, there's nothing in the works for a new
high-priced facility like the one that houses both of Manhattan Beach's
Police and Fire Departments. Nor are there any plans to construct a new
parking structure on land directly adjacent to City Hall. A proposal
aired at last week's meeting of the Planning Commission appears to be laying
the groundwork for the city to move in precisely that direction. HB Planning
Commission restricts Club 705 permit Hit and Run
Driver Strikes 4 people exiting a “party bus” near Pier Plaza Upper Pier
Avenue committee hashes out options Letters
- HB Office Condo project lacks adequate parking Trial is
ordered in Hermosa Beach house crash - DUI driver injures 5yr old boys Wrongful death claim filed in traffic death
of teenager Current Topics on The HBNA Discussion Forums: Read the opinions of Hermosa Beach
residents and include you own. NEW
ALCOHOL OUTLETS IN HERMOSA BEACH. A GOOD IDEA? What is your opinion
on adding more alcohol outlets to Upper Pier Ave, PCH and the Downtown? BUILD A
400 CAR PARKING GARAGE FOR UPPER PIER AVE? Good Idea? Does Hermosa Beach
need a new 400 car multi-level parking garage at City Hall, as part of a new
Public Safety complex? THE UPPER
PIER AVE. PROJECT - Should the Pier Plaza theme be extended to Upper
Pier Ave, with wider sidewalks for outdoor dining, palm trees, and removing 2
traffic lanes? HAS CRIME
& THE QUALITY OF LIFE BEEN MADE BETTER OR WORSE, from growth in
the sales and service of alcohol in Hermosa Beach, since 1998? WHAT
IS YOUR OPINION? Read almost 500 postings from Hermosa Beach residents. TAKE
THE HERMOSA BEACH COMMUNITY SURVEY ONLINE The Hermosa Beach City
Council Meeting for December 12, 2006
at 7:10 pm Important
PUBLIC HEARING for Hermosa Beach residents living near 16th Street and Pacific Coast
Highway The Conditional Use Permit for an On-Sale
alcohol license at the Still Water American Bistro at 1601 PCH The
Still Water Contemporary American Bistro - Conditional Use Permit What
are the Impacts for Hermosa Residents and Hermosa
Valley School Children Living Near a New Alcohol Outlet at
16th Street and Pacific Coast Highway? Possible
Questions for the Hermosa Beach City Council A. Does the City
of Hermosa Beach incur additional legal liability by granting new alcohol
licenses in the city? How many lawsuits have been filed against the
city that are a result of “alcohol related” arrests and crime? B. Will there be
an increase of “alcohol related crime and nuisance” in Hermosa Beach, by
granting new alcohol licenses? Has there been an increase in assault
related violence in Hermosa Beach since the Pier Plaza renovation? C. Will the
safety of Hermosa Beach school children be put at increased risk because the
alcohol outlet location is within 600 feet of the Hermosa Valley
School? Why does CA Law and the ABC Act specifically prohibit alcohol
outlets within 600 feet of schools? D. Is the 16th Street
“Still Water Bistro” parking garage entrance and exit located on a “Safe
Route to School”? In the future, will drivers over the "DUI
limit", drive out the “blind exit” from the parking garage exit, onto
the 16th Street sidewalk? E. Does the proposed
“wine shop” at the 1601 PCH location, violate an ABC moratorium on new
Off-Sale Alcohol Licenses in Hermosa Beach? Why has the ABC imposed a
moratorium on granting new Off-Sale licenses in Hermosa Beach? Background
Information Regarding the above, Alcohol Outlet Questions What are the Beach
Cities Crime Statistics for Years 1998 to 2004 ? From The California
Dept. Justice - Criminal Justice Statistics Center: Compare
the Crime Statistics since the 1997 HB Pier Plaza Renovation for: Hermosa
Beach, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and El Segundo State of
California laws and the ABC Act regarding Alcohol Licenses: Undue Concentration of alcohol licenses. The
license will cause residents to be affected by increased crime. The premises
will not interfere with the quiet enjoyment of local residences. The premises is located within the 600
feet of a school. (the Valley School) GIS
Map of the Alcohol Outlet Density in Hermosa Beach Get more information on: "Alcohol
Outlet Density and Crime" This link is a Google Search for: "Alcohol
Outlet Density and GIS Data Mapping" |
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The Easy Reader – January 18, 2007
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Hermosa Beach About Town Laker takes cake? Injuries follow
dispute At least one broken bone was suffered when
four passengers emerging from a “party bus” were struck by a vehicle
following a verbal dispute, police said. According to a preliminary investigation, the
incident began early Saturday morning when riders in a double-decker bus
heading to downtown Hermosa got in a dispute with four people in a black Jeep
Cherokee. The bus parked in the area of Beach Drive and
11th Street to unload its passengers about 12:30 a.m.
The Cherokee drove by, and it occupants “flipped off” bus passengers, police
said. The Cherokee was driven away only to return,
striking four people who exited the bus, police said. Paramedics
treated the injured people at the scene, and according to preliminary police
reports, at least one person suffered a broken leg. The Cherokee later
was discovered parked on Valley Drive and the investigation is continuing. Sand sponsors, Strand sponsors |
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The Beach Reporter – January 11, 2007
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Hermosa
Beach News Hermosa Beach through the years By
Chris Yang This
is the first in a three-part look at the 100 years of Hermosa Beach.
In
1900, Amos Burbank and Eugene Baker, acting on behalf of the Hermosa Beach
Land and Water Company, purchased 1,500 acres from the owner of Rancho Sausal Redondo for $35 per acre, or roughly $54,000. The
company, which also included two silent partners, Gen. Moses Hazeltine Sherman
and E. P. Clark, would go on to make several improvements over the next few
years, including a sewer system, wharf, pier and water supply. In
December 1907, the young town suffered a minor setback, losing the use of its
pier to the high tide. The “recreation pier,” an all-wood structure measuring
24 feet wide, was built three years earlier at a cost of $8,000. |
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Hermosa
Beach News Web sites keep residents in the loop By Chris Yang In
addition to a wide assortment of grass-roots activists and civic
organizations, Hermosa Beach also maintains a strong presence in cyberspace.
The following Web sites provide residents with a unique blend of information
about current events and the news of the day. The
site's founder, Ken Klade, also owns and operates a
local business known as the Klade Gallery. The
Neighborhood Association's Web site focuses primarily on news of the day and
local crime. The
site was started by former City Council candidate Al Benson and provides
visitors with a plethora of information about local government meetings,
current events and police statistics. The
site also includes a forum for people to post comments about anything at all,
which leads to a variety of interesting and informative discussions. Its
founders are Kelly Kovac-Reedy, Tracy Hopkins and Nancy Amato, who were
originally involved with Hermosa MOMS. It was formed partly in response to
the perceived lack of government response following Hurricane Katrina.
Residents interested in emergency preparedness and public safety will find
relevant information at this site. Run
by local resident Jim Lissner, the site is a blend
of interesting facts and tidbits that primarily focuses on issues of local
government. Lissner, a regular at various council
and commission meetings, has been critical of the overwhelming use of city resources
to police the pier plaza. Frost,
who at one time served as the editor of this publication, now lives in
Lomita. Live
shots from the local webcams are visible in the upper left corner of the
site, as are links to many of the most popular sites about Hermosa Beach. The
site provides real-time information from the county's many beaches, as well
as pictures from webcams found across the South Bay. A Flash animation about
the opening of the lifeguard facility is also available for visitors, who can
watch up close the work behind the new facility located next to the Hermosa
Beach Pier. Other
information is also available like surf conditions, water temperature and
wind conditions. |
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Hermosa
Beach News HB City Council wrap By Chris Yang Hermosa
Pavilion The
council awarded a contract worth approximately $17,056 to Everlast Painting
Company to refurbish the Clark Building. According to a city staff report,
the contract will include painting the interior of the auditorium,
refinishing the wood floor and minor repairs to the wood floor. A
staff report indicated that the primary reason for performing the work was
due to the competitive nature of securing funds under Prop. 1A, which was
recently approved by the voters of California. |
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The Easy Reader – December 29, 2005
2005
in Hermosa: the year of the punch line, Part I, II and III
A bitter land-use battle, a hulking emptiness and the police
The Daily Breeze – December 30, 2005
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Friday Letters to the Editor |
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HB disaster forum impels action I attended the Hermosa Beach Emergency Town Hall Forum on
Dec. 14 and was very impressed with the information the city officials shared
with us. They were able to tell us what they will be able to do in case of a
disaster. Well, what will I be able to do? A couple of other moms and I have been thinking what have
we been doing to prepare ourselves, our families and our neighbors so that we
may be better prepared in the event of a disaster. Since then, we have
created Hermosa Beach MOMS with Kelly Reedy-Kovac, Nancy Amato and I, in the
hopes of getting our school families and all members of our community more
prepared by providing a special fund-raising event offering U.S. Coast
Guard-approved survival kits which would be invaluable to a family should any
type of disruption in their lives occur. Information on these kits can be
found at www.HVPTO.com and more information
on this subject and order forms for the kits can be found at www.hbneighborhood.org/HBMOMS.htm. We also feel it is important to get our community involved
and have decided to organize a Neighborhood Watch/Community Preparedness
Association to help assist the emergency services of our city as well as be
first responders for our families and our local neighborhood. So just from
one town hall meeting we are beginning to make the city of Hermosa Beach more
prepared as individuals and families. I would like to thank City Manager Steve Burrell, Fire
Chief Russ Tingley, Police Chief Mike Lavin, the Area "G" disaster
coordinator Mike Martinet, Councilman J.R. Reviczky,
the Hermosa Beach School District, the Beach Cities Health District and all
the others that are working hard for the citizens of this wonderful city. I
would also like to thank all the residents who attended the meeting or
watched it on TV. I know that we as concerned citizens will take the
information shared at this meeting and incorporate it into our lives, so
that, as Mike Martinet said, "People have to be prepared." -- TRACY HOPKINS Hermosa Beach |
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KCBS-TV Channel 2 News at 5 PM -
Hermosa Beach Police Issue Warning To Women - Broadcast on 7/29/05 at 5pm.
Hermosa Beach Police detectives believe the two
incidents may be linked to a March 8, 2004, attack on a woman who was dragged
into a stairwell and beaten.
View
the CBS-TV Channel 2 news story on the Pier Plaza Assaults . . . You
need Windows Media Player in order get the audio/video of this CBS-TV
news story reported by Paul Dandridge.
HERMOSA BEACH, Calif. (CBS) Hermosa Beach police are warning women to avoid walking alone from
Pier Plaza nightspots following two attempted assaults possibly committed by
the same man who attacked a woman last year. Detectives told the
Daily Breeze that they believe the man -- dubbed the "Late Night
Attacker" -- was trying to rape a woman when he grabbed her as she walked
on Monterey Avenue in the south end of the city early Sunday. The
victim was walking alone at 2:15 a.m. on a well-lighted sidewalk when a
muscular man confronted her. The woman was able to escape by kneeing him in the
groin, police said. On July 8 about 3:30 a.m., a woman was walking
home from the downtown area in a dimly lighted alley near 10th Street and
Monterey Avenue when a man tried to force her into a car, the Daily Breeze
reported. That woman also managed to escape. If you have any information related to the incidents, please call
Detective Robert Higgins at 310-318-0341.
Images of America - Hermosa Beach
Book
tells Hermosa’s tale in pictures
- Admirers of Hermosa love to hear old-timers talk about what “used
to be here” before it was torn down and replaced by what is here now. Thanks to
two authors, admirers of the city can see those landmarks for themselves in a
127-page book of rare photos that trace Hermosa’s history.
Images of America:
Hermosa Beach by Chris Miller and Jerry Roberts chronicles the town from the
days before it was a town, when the electric Red Car train brought people in
over the sand dunes from greater L.A.
If you buy the book, Images
of America - Hermosa Beach from the HB
Historical Society, The Chamber of Commerce, or PINK, all the profits go to
fund the Hermosa Beach Historical Society's Museum Expansion.
The
Hermosa Beach Historical Society
The Easy Reader –
December 1, 2005
Hermosa Beach News
Police seek help after home attack
Hermosa
police were seeking witnesses after a man broke into a home in the 3500 block
of Manhattan Avenue about 3:30 a.m. Oct. 29 and fled when a woman resident
screamed, and hit and scratched him.
Police urged anyone who might have seen the man flee to call Hermosa Beach
Police Detective Bob Higgins at 318-0341.
The man was described as 6 feet tall and athletic wearing a long-sleeved,
button-down shirt and possibly khaki pants.
He entered the home, possibly through an unlocked door, police said. The woman
was awakened by a sound, shouted, and confronted the man, who was wearing a
smooth, latex, skin-colored mask, in a hallway. The man grabbed her throat and
she fought back, police said.
Police are hoping witnesses might have seen the man running from the home. ER
The
Daily Breeze - November 30,2005
Hermosa police
ask help in search for intruder - Masked person broke into a Hermosa Beach home last month but
fled when a female resident fought him off.
- Hermosa
Police Issues Warning to Women on Pier Plaza Assaults . . .
View
the CBS-TV Channel 2 news story:
- Women attacked
in 3 incidents near Pier Plaza in Hermosa. . .
Read the The Daily Breeze story -
Hermosa Beach Crime Statistics - 1998 thru 2003
Rape
Burglary Non-Injury
ALL DUI
Criminal
Adult Total
Calls
Auto
Acc. Assaults
Citations
Arrests for Service
1998
-- 8
113
201
77
150 562
608
19,951
1999
--
6 118
170
119
203 613
680
21,378
2000
--
6 145
195
97
152 545
616
25,147
2001
--
9 104
176
141
170 668
846
32,422
2002
-- 15
118
202
131 214
943 1,012
28,728
2003
-- 11
143
258
140 285
989
1,315 32,241
Crime Categories That Have Shown an Increase from 1998 thru 2003
Rape Burglary
Non-Injury
ALL DUI
Criminal Adult Total
Calls
Auto
Acc. Assaults Citations Arrests for
Service
Up
Up
Up Up
Up
Up Up Up
37 % 26 %
28 % 81
% 90 % 75
% 116
% 61 %
Crime
Statistics from: The Hermosa Beach Police Department Activity Reports
Excerpts from:
The Easy Reader -
February 3, 2005
Hermosa Beach News
Arrests hit an all-time high
by Robb Fulcher
--- The year 2004 saw a record number of arrests in
Hermosa -- 1,388 -- topping the old record of 1,315 set the year before.
--- Those high-water marks go back at least to 1991,
when the Hermosa Beach Police Department began keeping detailed arrest records,
Chief Mike Lavin said.
--- The downtown area with its active and sometimes rowdy nightlife
has contributed to the increased arrests, Lavin said.
--- “That is a reflection, I would have to say, of the
downtown. We have so much activity there,” he said.
--- In another possibly downtown-related development,
misdemeanor citations ballooned from 989 to 1,419. Disturbance calls to police
rose from 3,025 to 4,201.
Hermosa Beach Crime Statistics from the HBPD
Criminal
Adult Total
Calls Disturbance
Burglary Robbery
Assaults DUI Citations
Arrests For Service
Calls
1998
-- 113 17
77
150 562
608 19,951
3,199
2004
-- 140
20
143 195
1,419 1,388
30,215 4,201
Crime Categories That Have Shown an Increase from 1998 thru 2004
Criminal
Adult Total
Calls Disturbance
Burglary Robbery
Assaults
DUI Citations
Arrests For Service
Calls
Up
Up
Up Up Up
Up Up
Up
23.9 % 17.6 % 85.7
% 30 %
152 % 128 %
51.4 % 31.3 %
Source:
The Hermosa Beach Police Department Activity Reports
The Beach Reporter – August 12, 2004
Hermosa Beach News
HB
Residents complain about Pier Plaza patrons (8/12)
By Whitney Youngs
In
a public meeting, Hermosa Beach residents and business owners along with a few
elected city officials and employees Aug. 4 discussed several ongoing issues
that just don't ever seem to go away pertaining to the city's raucous nightlife
in the downtown area and on the pier plaza. City officials fielded
numerous complaints from residents who live in the nearby neighborhoods who are
sick and tired of waking up in the middle of the night to drunken party
animals, some of whom yell and scream down residential streets, urinate in
front yards or vandalize private property.
Police
Chief Mike Lavin commented on the present environment spanning roughly the past
six months, and said that there have been no major incidents and the area
overall has improved.
Newly
appointed Planning Commissioner and lifetime resident Rick Koenig attended the
meeting and said most of the issues discussed centered on a
"fraternity-like atmosphere" in the downtown in which a handful of
police officers are regulating a scene comprising hundreds of restaurant and
bar patrons "I know a lot of people are fed up with the 'red cup
syndrome' where people are walking around in public drinking openly," said
Koenig, "and the urination and trash in everyone's yard, including mine.
These kind of meetings are good in the sense that at least it allows people to
vent instead of building up animosity and so it's a step in the right
direction."
The
public meeting, which began as proactive but eventually turned into a rather
heated debate, provided residents with an opportunity to verbalize their
frustrations and concerns about a downtown that attracts throngs of young
people, both local and from out of town, most every weekend and on some
weeknights.
"I
think these problems can be fixed. We just need some positive solutions because
if all we do is antagonize each other then that's all we've done," said
City Councilman J.R. Reviczky. "Unfortunately,
if you get 10 people in a room, one of them is going to be an idiot; with 100,
10 are going to be; and with 1,000, you have 100. That's really what the
scenario is down there and anywhere. Half of the laws that are passed by
government are passed because 10 percent of people have no respect for others.
You have a lot of people down there and you have a lot of people down there
spending money, you're going to have that 10-percent figure no matter what.
That ratio stays the same and we'll always have to deal with that 10 percent.
"We
used to staff officers that were on overtime and now we actually have a special
shift down there which helps with overtime costs and gives those officers a
better grasp of what is going on when you have the same people down there all
the time. You have to give that a chance to work and I think that is the phase
we are in right now."
The
meeting also served as a platform in brainstorming solutions to such problems,
which have been at the forefront in the city for years now. Planning
Commissioner Sam Perotti also attended the meeting and
suggested that at the next session an agenda be drafted as a way of providing a
bit more structure. "I think there needs to be continued
coordination between the business operators, and the Police and Fire
departments. I think that in the long run, things will work out," he said.
"In the past, the Planning Commission has modified business conditional
use permits by limiting hours mainly based on excessive noise and that has been
an effective resource."
Resident
Al Benson has been a strong proponent of cracking down on bars and restaurants
that become nightclubs in the evening that he believes serve as a breeding
ground for much of the boisterous behavior of patrons.
"Of
all the things that are going on down there, there are monetary costs -
cleaning the plaza, police overtime - and then there are human costs, people
are getting hurt and I'm tired of reading in the newspapers of police being
attacked as well. All these costs, are they worth it?" said Benson.
"It seems like even with implementing some solutions - like reducing noise
and occupancy, enforcing underage drinking - but the number of people who come
down there does not change and the age group does not change and the amount of
alcohol really does not change, we won't have a real effect on alcohol-related
crimes."
According
to the city's quarterly statistical reports for 2003, the Police Department
cited the largest number of adults arrested in more than a
decade. According to the report, robbery stayed the same with 13
cases reported in 2002 and 2003. Both assaults and burglaries increased this
year compared to 2002 with 140 reported assaults and 143 burglaries compared to
131 assaults and 118 burglaries reported in 2002. The number of reported D.U.I.
arrests rose with 214 cases reported in 2002 and 285 cases reported in 2003.
Police
transported more people to jail in 2003 with 1,012 adult arrests in 2002 and
1,315 adult arrests in 2003. The number of police calls for service increased
this year from 28,728 to 32,241 while the number of disturbance calls dropped
from 3,343 to 2,788.
In
mid-February, the Planning Commission unanimously voted to review conditional
use permits of Aloha Sharkeez and
Sangria. "The thing that I don't think people really understand
is that the downtown area in the overall picture in terms of parking, taxes,
licenses is about $5 million to the city and people tend to forget what it was
like 10 years ago," said Sharkeez owner Ron
Newman. "For the amount of people who come down, it's pretty well-run.
Most of the businesses are upscale and sell food, and it's not going to go
away. The people who have businesses have a right to be here. If there are
problems, then those problems need to be solved between the individual and the
business, and it has to be solved realistically. Hermosa is what it is and
without these businesses Hermosa wouldn't be able to survive. I think there
should be a city liaison that someone could go to, and that person could meet
with both the business and the citizen because if you don't try and solve these
problems, no one is going to win."
At
its February meeting, the commission reviewed an incident report drafted by
Lavin that details the history of officer calls responding to incidents taking
place inside or outside downtown restaurants and bars, and several along
Pacific Coast Highway. "For the past several years, the city of
Hermosa Beach has enjoyed a very popular downtown area," stated Lavin in
his report. "In particular, the Hermosa night life has become very popular
and several thousand patrons frequent the downtown nightclubs especially on the
weekend nights. The Police Department has had to increase the amount of
enforcement activity on the Hermosa plaza to keep a lid on the crowds and the
associated public disturbances, assaults and public intoxication that have
become very commonplace each evening between the hours of 10 p.m. and 2:30
a.m."
The
Police Department staffs the plaza with foot patrol units on every night of the
week with the exception of Monday and designates additional foot patrols on
weekend nights. "All of this activity is paid through overtime
and is costing the city several hundreds of thousands of dollars each
year," added Lavin. "This activity on the plaza has also been the
source of numerous personnel complaints against officers, claims against the
city, lawsuits and injuries to officers."
According
to Lavin's report, officers received 83 and 71 disturbance calls from Sangria
and Aloha Sharkeez, respectively. The report tracks
the history of calls from Dec. 1, 2002, to Jan. 10, 2004. Lavin also wanted to
make it clear that such number of calls were made in front of an establishment,
not necessarily inside of them. Because the two establishments
ranked as the first and second in the highest number of calls among the 15
other restaurants and bars mostly located in downtown and some along PCH, Lavin
asked the commission to review both CUPs. The commission will determine whether
the CUPs were properly and adequately implemented as a way of controlling some
of the problems that have come in the form of such disturbance calls.
Among
the restaurants with the lowest number of calls, Patrick Malloy's was ranked
the lowest with one call followed by the Poop Deck with two calls, the Hermosa
Yacht Club and Caf/ Boogaloo with three calls, and
the Mermaid restaurant and Barnacles tied for fourth place with five calls
each. The report focuses on calls directly dealing with disturbances, assaults
and public intoxication. Of the remaining establishments, Shark's
Cove received six calls, followed by Pointe 705 with 10, Hennessey's with 11,
TJ Charly'z and the North End Bar with 13, Hermosa
Saloon with 16, the Pitcher House with 17, the Underground with 33 and the
Lighthouse with 45.
Carla
Merriman, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, commented on the
"red cup" drinking scene and expressed satisfaction in knowing that
the bars have begun to take initiative in recent months. "It
was good to hear that the bars are cleaning up their act," she said.
"I think that more information should be given to residents regarding the
value of these businesses on the plaza - Sangria, Sharkeez
and Hennessey's are consistently among the top 25 sales tax producers. When I
hear residents talking about people on The Strand with red cups and blaming the
establishments for that, I think it's ridiculous. The restaurants and bars do
not pour drinks to go. I think we need to work in the community as a whole and
whatever the chamber can do to help, we would like to as a way to move in a
more positive direction."
"Neighbors
working together for a better Hermosa Beach"
The goal of the HBNA is to bring neighbors together
to address
the needs and concerns they have for quality of
life issues in Hermosa Beach.
The Hermosa Beach
Neighborhood Association
"Neighbors working
together for a better Hermosa Beach"