Board Hears From LAPD, Pathetic Election Participation Less Than Impressive
By Nick Antonicello
John McKinney, Director of Specialized Prosecutions for Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman addressed locals Tuesday evening at the monthly meeting of the Venice Neighborhood Council (www.venicenc.org).
About 100 or so residents were in attendance.
Eighteen of the board’s twenty-one members were in attendance with President Brian Averill presiding.
John McKinney was a candidate in the 2024 Los Angeles County District Attorney election. Born and raised in Passaic, New Jersey, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University in 1994 and a law degree from UCLA School of Law in 1997. Professionally, McKinney served as a Deputy District Attorney in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
In the March 5, 2024, nonpartisan primary, McKinney was among several challengers to incumbent George Gascón. However, he did not advance to the general election, with Gascón and Nathan Hochman securing the most votes.
He was critical of Gascón’s progressive policies, arguing that they contributed to rising crime rates and undermined public safety. McKinney endorsed Nathan Hochman in the general election, stating that Hochman’s approach would restore balance and fairness to the justice system.
The longtime veteran of the DA’s office, McKinney served as a surrogate for Hochman this evening as he talked about the priorities of the new District Attorney during his first 100 days on the job.
McKinney compared and contrasted the philosophy and management style of Hochman who easily disposed of George Gascon last November.
McKinney spoke about drug deaths, particularly meth and fentanyl inspired, and pointed out the new DA was “supporting victims again.”
McKinney noted that Hochman has been meeting with the Chiefs of Police in every county municipality, thus building relationships between law enforcement and the DA’s office.
Since assuming office, McKinney credited Hochman for decreasing the office’s back log from 14,000 to roughly 9,000 cases or 36%.
Under Gascon, there were 25 lawsuits against the DA, and that roughly half have been settled.
McKinney stated that the DA truly stepped up after the wildfires that engulfed sections of LA County including Pacific Palisades where he partnered with city officials such as Los Angeles Councilwoman Traci Park (CD-11), pushing for stronger law enforcement regarding looters.
McKinney talked passionately about human sex trafficking as he stated that the DA is taking a hardline against pimps and other enablers of such crimes.
Regarding juvenile prosecution detention, McKinney said Hochman is seeking an alternative route that offers a path to education as the DA is partnering with local community colleges as well as the Public Defender’s office.
McKinney said the current financial climate has had a toll on the office as there are only 750 attorneys when the usual amount is more like 1,000.
He closed by reassuring residents that the office is being “run down the middle,” staying away from politics that plagued the previous administration.
McKinney felt morale was on the upswing and took some questions from the audience. President Averill thanked McKinney for attending.
LAPD REPORT:
Senior Lead Officer Samuel Gil, a member of the Pacific Division of the Los Angeles Police Department also addressed those assembled.
Gil reported eight burglaries last week here in Venice and while that violent crime had decreased, property theft had increased.
Gil also reported firearms were confiscated from those associated with gang activity, and tagging of structures had increased as well.
Gang tagging is often seen as illegal vandalism, and in many places, authorities take measures to remove or reduce it as part of anti-gang efforts. The symbols and designs can vary from one gang to another, and in some cases, they can be complex or cryptic, only fully understood by members of the gang.
Gil noted that the Pacific Beach detail will increase as the summer months draw near, with an estimated 12-18 additional officers assigned to the Venice neighborhood.
Board member Deborah Keaton, chairperson the Oceanfront Walk Committee inquired about controlling the e-bike situation at the beach and if ticketing illegal bike ridership at the beach was possible.
Gil maintained that “logistical coverage” was required and that manpower was at a premium under current budget restraints. Gil emphasized that the LAPD’s priority was lowering property crime as well as violent incidents at the beach.
CD-11 REPORT:
Sean Silva, the Venice Deputy for Councilwoman Traci Park addressed the meeting and thanked McKinney for his service and support of CD-11 in wake of the wildfires.
Silva announced that CD-11 will be holding a Virtual Town Hall on April 3rd as well as free tax preparation for CD-11 residents. Silva also noted that Park is now chairing a recovery committee as the rebuilding process in wake of the wildfires takes shape.
Silva urged residents to take a needs assessment survey to evaluate the Los Angeles Parks system which includes Venice Beach and OFW.
He also announced the free concert series at Venice Beach will continue in cooperation with the VNC and that skateboarding events will also take place on June 20th and June 21st to the apparent disappointment of board member Lisa Redmond, who somehow found issue with continuing the strong relationship between the board and the council office.
Redmond is a longtime homeless apologist and longtime critic of Park.
Board member Yolanda Gonzalez thanked Silva for delivering on a recent cleanup while Community Officer Clark Brown asked for an update regarding RVs moving back at Marr.
Silva indicated he would investigate the situation.
VENICE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL ELECTION UPDATE:
Access to ballots ended this Monday and approximately 1,200 Venetians registered for ballots in the upcoming VNC elections.
Because there is no in-person voting, only those who took the time to register will receive a ballot.
So, the actual number of participating stakeholders might match the 892 individuals who casted a vote for president in 2023.
The numbers have been decreasing since 2019 when 1,677 casted votes for president and 1,925 voted in 2021. Because there is no in-person voting, candidates and board members were handed the monstrous task of registering voters instead of the Los Angeles City Clerk’s Office simply mailing ballots to all registered voters like any other municipal contest.
A staffer from EMPOWER LA was on hand to congratulate the board’s efforts, even though the numbers continue to decline, and one must ask, why isn’t EMPOWER LA, or the LA Clerk’s office leaving this massive effort on the shoulders of a 21-member volunteer board with no financial resources?
When compared to other neighborhood councils, the effort seems noble as only Mar Vista broke more than 500 ballots requested. Most neighborhood councils in the area had even worse numbers, running between 100-250 registered participants.
The VNC appropriated some $7,000 for outreach activities for this election even though more was available.
But it became clear that the VNC does not and did not have the necessary funds to maximize turnout without an in-person, election day component.
While the finger was pointed at city officials and specifically Mayor Karen Bass, the Vote by Mail system concocted by DONE clearly sabotaged any realistic effort to duplicate what already exists, voter data stored by the LA City Clerk.
For how do you conduct an election without an election day and expect candidates and current board members, all volunteers to do the job of municipal employees and city bureaucrats at DONE?
And as the board argued over pennies, they do control, the real culprit in this colossal failure of delivering the services required to conduct a reliable and legitimate election is EMPOWER LA, while the losers are the tens of thousands of stakeholders denied access to this alleged, grass roots democracy!
Carmen Chang serves as the General Manager of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (Empower LA) in Los Angeles. In this role, she leads the department’s efforts to support and enhance the Neighborhood Council system, ensuring that Angelenos can actively participate in civic engagement and advocate for their communities.
Empower LA’s core responsibilities include providing direct support to Neighborhood Councils, offering meeting and training assistance, ensuring compliance with relevant laws and policies, and serving as a liaison between Neighborhood Councils and city decision-makers.
Regarding Chang’s compensation, as of May 2024, the Mayor’s Executive Employee Relations Committee approved a salary for the General Manager position within the M-8 salary range, which spans from $173,345 to $307,395 annually.
City records indicate that Chang earns $115 per hour or $240,621.12 annually.
Specific details regarding Empower LA’s employee-related expenditures, such as salaries and benefits, are not readily available in public sources.
It is noted that Empower LA has the largest expected salary savings rate among LA city departments with fewer than 100 full-time employees, indicating significant budget allocations for salaries.
The results of the 2025 VNC elections will apparently be made available on March 25th, with the official tabulations released in early April.
Nick Antonicello is a thirty-two-year resident of the neighborhood who exclusively covers the deliberations of the Venice Neighborhood Council and serves as a member of the Oceanfront Walk Committee. Have a take or tip all things Venice? Contact him via e-mail at nantoni@mindspring.com
