Creating A New Vision for Park Safety

Los Angeles has one of the largest public park systems in the nation. It provides critical access to green space for millions of residents. The Board of Supervisors, Oct 13, has taken steps to implement a community-informed public safety strategy for county parks in the face of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department or LASD budget curtailments. This unanimously approved motion aims to prioritize a more equitable, safety-focused, anti-racist framework to reducing the harm caused by an over-reliance on law enforcement in our parks. The motion also makes further investments in alternative crisis response and violence prevention strategies.  

“Investing in parks, and the programming that occurs within these spaces, must be a critical part of our approach to promoting an anti-racist and more equitable Los Angeles County. However, we must also acknowledge that these spaces and services will only improve the quality of life for our residents if they are delivered in a safe and trauma-informed manner,” said Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas “Given the Sheriff’s recent decision to curtail the Parks Services Bureau entirely, there is an immediate need to put a holistic and community-informed strategy in place so our parks can remain safe spaces for the community.”

Authored by Supervisors Ridley-Thomas and Janice Hahn, the motion authorizes the Acting Chief Executive Officer and the Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation to address the resulting gap in public safety services caused by Sheriff Villanueva’s threat to close the Parks Services Bureau, and report back with alternative solutions, including the implementation of alternative crisis response staffing.

Since 2009, LASD has provided community policing through its Parks Services Bureau. However, recently, the Sheriff has threatened to eliminate the program entirely and reallocate funds elsewhere despite the board’s action to fund the budgetary gap. As a result, the board is also calling for appropriate fiscal safeguards to be instituted to ensure that any funds provided to LASD to fund park services, be used for the intended purpose.

Details: http://file.lacounty.gov/motion