The Hermosa Beach
Neighborhood Association
"Neighbors working together for a better Hermosa
Beach"
GO
TO THE:
2024 Hermosa Beach City
Council Debate Questions
http://www.hbneighborhood.org/2024%20HBNA%20Candidate%20Debate%201.htm
______________________________________________________________
The 2024 Hermosa Beach Candidate Debate will be Broadcast Live and
Replayed on Cable
Spectrum Channel 8 and Frontier FIOS Channel 31
______________________________________________________________
This Debate Will Also Be Available Live and for Replay on
the City’s YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/CityofHermosaBeach90254
______________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
HBNA PRESS RELEASE:
The Hermosa Beach
Neighborhood Association will sponsor a Hermosa Beach City Council Candidate
Debate to be held on Thursday, September 26, 2024.
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.
Time has been set aside
for the Audience to Ask Questions.
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 -
September 26, 2024
_____________________________________________________________
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 Reporting (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 ________________________________________________ 2022
Hermosa Beach City Council Debate Questions 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 ________________________________________________ . Compare the CA
CJSC Crime Statistics . Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach
The Top Hermosa Beach News Stories:
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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"