Venice Beach at Night

[West of Encino]

I've dreamed of living in Venice someday, but home invasions are so high there. I have to decide if it's worth losing my favorable possessions to thieves who are planning a break-in after dark? If I wanted to live on the Westside, it would either be in the PDR/Westchester area or Santa Monica.

I'd think by now the LAPD would take pride in the community. It took me a while to realize that Venice is the main crime spot of the Westside for the City of Los Angeles and the main grounds for West L.A. gangs.

Originally Posted by notmeofficer

You are correct about my information.. it is based on personal historical experience and not contemporary crime statistics.. which would be one indicator of the actual safety of Venice beach at night. I have not lived in Santa Monica (27th and Pearl) for 10 years (and with no disrespect to those that do.. thank god)

I do know this...

I experienced an attempted carjacking while off duty in Venice.. this ended badly for the suspect.. and I made two off duty arrests there while running.. and a dear friend I went to school with on the East Coast (Sarai Ribicoff- google it.. the Venice story is interesting) was murdered coming out of a restaurant in Venice.. statistically add all this up and it is significant. I ran this beach every day.. and yes sometimes at night.. and I was armed.. and I felt uneasy... I cant imagine what someone with no firearm protection would feel.

I also know safety is a perception.. and factual information doesnt usually fit into the hierarchy because most people want to see the good in a place.. especially if they frequent it or live there.. my perception is that Venice was (and is) a dangerous place.. not the yuppy nirvana beach that some might like to paint. I do profess not having seen it in 10 years.. and with no desire to.
My supposition interested me so I checked LAPDs current crime stats for Venice.. funny I couldn't decipher them.. then I looked at contemporary blogs,, which were all over the board depending on who wrote them.. from utopia to the most dangerous beach there is...
I understand there was a major cleanup several years ago but where did all those V13 gang members go.. sure some to prison.. but Oakwood (which abuts the beach solidly and completely controlled by a street gang)

Does Mr and Mrs John Q Citizen from Opakanokie Wisconsion really want to be walking on that beach at night.. hell no.. we call them "make a victim".. People who live in Venice and are used to the games that get run on them may have a higher level of street smarts and know where not to go at night..or living in L.A perhaps desensitizes others into unconscious bliss
All vagrants and homeless (which Venice has plenty of ) are not all innocent downtrodden Americans.. they are mentally ill.. the are criminal... they are looking for the quick buck and easy victim

I ask any of you...

Would you walk there at night with your wife... or children.. and feel safe???..please.. the answer should be self evident. I did note that LAPD is putting out a current advisory to be on heightened alert for car burglars due to the summertime crowd...

If it really is safe.. Im glad for L.A... but I dont believe it for one second

[West of Encino]

Originally Posted by majoun

Santa Monica's tolerance towards the homeless having reached its limit and the SMPD cracking down on the homeless are a major reason why Venice's homeless problems are as bad as they are!



Which is WHY Santa Monica got fed up with the homeless.



No it is not.

And never could be well represented on a LOS ANGELES City Council. Only on a VENICE City Council.

I read a thread a while back about people of Venice hoping the community would get its cityhood back.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by West of Encino

I read a thread a while back about people of Venice hoping the community would get its cityhood back.

No action right now on that front. More emphasis on trying to organize recalls of Rosendahl and VNC members. There's talk of waiting to see how a Valley secession measure does and then proceeding (as there is plenty of speculation about Valley secession being back on the ballot in the next LA municipal election - and IMO this time it would have a better chance of passing due to the city of L.A. being in worse shape now than in 2001). Venice cityhood enjoys overwhelming support but unfortunately the movement's disorganized and divided. Rosendahl's accurately seen as being oblivious to Venice's problems. Neither he nor his predecessor Cindy Misciekowski live in Venice (Rosendahl lives in Mar Vista and Misciekowski lived and probably still lives in Brentwood).

As for the "hot prowls" - that's directly related to the homeless problem. As said earlier in this thread, while the gang problem is nowhere near what it was in the past, the homeless problem's at least as bad as ever and LAPD's of little use. And most of these homeless are not victims of the bad economy but ex-cons, drug addicts, and runaways (while runaways' situation is amongst the saddest of all homeless groups they're also amongst the most dangerous homeless groups). Despite the propaganda of the VNC very few have ties to the Venice community. The hot prowls tend to occur in SFRs on the walk streets (although not exclusively). All the more reason to live in a security building. (If you're that worried, there's actually a small gated community on Pacific near the Windward circle, though it's pricey.) And South Venice is DEFINITELY safer than north of Venice Blvd.

[californio sur]

Originally Posted by majoun

No action right now on that front. More emphasis on trying to organize recalls of Rosendahl and VNC members. There's talk of waiting to see how a Valley secession measure does and then proceeding (as there is plenty of speculation about Valley secession being back on the ballot in the next LA municipal election - and IMO this time it would have a better chance of passing due to the city of L.A. being in worse shape now than in 2001). Venice cityhood enjoys overwhelming support but unfortunately the movement's disorganized and divided. Rosendahl's accurately seen as being oblivious to Venice's problems. Neither he nor his predecessor Cindy Misciekowski live in Venice (Rosendahl lives in Mar Vista and Misciekowski lived and probably still lives in Brentwood).

As for the "hot prowls" - that's directly related to the homeless problem. As said earlier in this thread, while the gang problem is nowhere near what it was in the past, the homeless problem's at least as bad as ever and LAPD's of little use. And most of these homeless are not victims of the bad economy but ex-cons, drug addicts, and runaways (while runaways' situation is amongst the saddest of all homeless groups they're also amongst the most dangerous homeless groups). Despite the propaganda of the VNC very few have ties to the Venice community. The hot prowls tend to occur in SFRs on the walk streets (although not exclusively). All the more reason to live in a security building. (If you're that worried, there's actually a small gated community on Pacific near the Windward circle, though it's pricey.) And South Venice is DEFINITELY safer than north of Venice Blvd.

I know you are a huge proponent of secession but have not heard any such discussion in Los Angeles. Must be some buzz out there. Can you refer me to sites\ blogs where this issue is seriously being discussed? Thanks

[majoun]

Originally Posted by californio sur

I know you are a huge proponent of secession but have not heard any such discussion in Los Angeles. Must be some buzz out there. Can you refer me to sites\ blogs where this issue is seriously being discussed? Thanks

Yo! Venice!

Free Venice Beachhead - freevenice.org

City of Venice Town Council

The YoVenice and Beachhead people REALLY don't like each other,btw. That's one of the problems with Venice secessionism. No organization, plenty of feuds, and no single monied backer.

The Valley secessionist group ValleyVote (who were behind the 2001 Valley secession plan) still exist.

Valley VOTE

[californio sur]

Originally Posted by majoun

Yo! Venice!

Free Venice Beachhead - freevenice.org

City of Venice Town Council

The YoVenice and Beachhead people REALLY don't like each other,btw. That's one of the problems with Venice secessionism. No organization, plenty of feuds, and no single monied backer.

The Valley secessionist group ValleyVote (who were behind the 2001 Valley secession plan) still exist.

Valley VOTE

It appears the focus of these organizations is empowerment but not necessarily secession. In-fact, it is not even mentioned in Valley Vote. With the exception of the City of Venice Town Council, there seems to be no real effort to even explore secession from Los Angeles.