West Hollywood brawl sparks concerns about security ambassadors
A video depicting a fight between two men on West Hollywood Street last week has sparked a debate about the effectiveness of the city's Block by Block Security Ambassadors.
Depending on who you ask the video either shows the city's security force working or failing.
"I was like oh, this doesn't look too good," said Ethan Reynolds, the person who took the video.
The video does appear to show one of the ambassadors on a phone or walkie-talkie possibly calling for help, which is what's supposed to happen, according to the Mayor's office. The fight happened next to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department station.
However, Reyolds questioned this aspect of the ambassador's protocol, since anyone can call 911.
"If the Block by Block Ambassadors are not empowered to mitigate situations like this, which do seem to occur often in West Hollywood, truly it does give us a false sense of security and I think that's extremely frustrating as a resident," said Reynolds.
Last June, the West Hollywood City Council controversially voted to reduce the number of deputies, opting to instead increase the number of unarmed security ambassadors. Now, the city has 85 Block by Block ambassadors.
Some locals like Reynolds said they saw a spike in violent crime and have grown frustrated with the response.
"You look at it and say Jesus come on do something," said resident Eddie Aguglia. "Whatever policy is in place that made them react the way they reacted has to be changed," said Aguglia.
The mayor's office clarified that their role includes conducting safety escorts and responding to non-violent calls. The program was aimed at getting more boots on the ground and focusing on de-escalation without violence. Some agreed that there is value in a uniformed presence.
"Like I said before it's kind of like chicken soup, it couldn't hurt," said Los Angeles resident Carol Ehrlich. "The more yes watching the better off we are."
However, Reynolds said in disagreement that eyes and ears aren't enough.
"If it's just a secondary step for providing true intervention, I just don't see the point," he said.
