Blair Hills Neighborhood Home Association Meeting

February 20, 2018

 

Convened:  The Blair Hills Neighborhood Home Association meeting for February 20, 2018 was called to order at 7:10 p.m.

Ms. Annie Wilson read the minutes for the last meeting and the attendees approved the minutes from the last meeting. 

2018 Blair Hills Neighborhood Picnic – The 2018 Blair Hills Neighborhood Picnic is August 11, 2018.  The park permit was secured.

Transitions – Mr. Berg, a 95- year old Blair Hills resident died.  Min Shapiro is in hospice. Ms. Kenney passed recently. 

March 2018 meeting – There will be a candidate forum at the March 2018 meeting.

Culver City Police Department (CCPD) presentation – Captain of Operations, Sam McIvey, Lt. Troy Dunlap and Sargent .Eden Robertson attended the meeting to give presentations on the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Program and Automated License Plate Readers.  CCPD is seeking neighborhood support of these programs. 

CCPD reported the person(s) responsible for the residential break ins in Blair Hills were arrested.  CCPD reports the city’s crime clearance rate is 45%.  Nationally, the average police department clearance rate is 27%. 

On March 7, 2018 there will be a coffee with a cop event at Howling Juice 5879 Washington Blvd. 

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Program aka drones – CCPD would like neighborhood support for the purchase of 2 large drones, 4 medium sized drones for training and 2 small drones to be used in household searches.  The drones are consumer grade not militaristic grade drones.  CCPD emphasized the drones won’t be used for spying on residents.  The drones will be used to provide aerial support during tactical police and fire operations. They will also be useful in reporting critical information during a natural disaster.  Drones will be used to enhance public and officer safety. 

If purchased the drones, designated CCPD officers will receive special training and there will be one person in charge of the drones.  Drones will only be deployed with a supervisor’s approval, and only after all the required notifications to air traffic control towers (per FAA regulations) have been made. Only pilots who possess a valid license to fly drones issued by the FAA may deploy them.   The FAA regulates the usage of drones. 

Information on the drone usage will be posted on the CCD website etc. Every use of a UAV will be announced using the public announcement system on the police vehicles and social media outlets if safety and time permit.  Every deployment will be documented and published in the CCPD’s monthly report. 

 

Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) – CCPD reported they are exploring the possibility of purchasing ALPRs at strategic intersections around the perimeter of Culver City.  CCPD reported that individuals come into Culver City to commit a crime and leave the city afterwards.  ALPRs are an efficient way for law enforcement to generate investigative leads and locate suspects.  The fixed cameras primarily only capture and read license plates that travel on the City’s public roadways.  Fixed ALPRs placed at strategic locations, scan the license plates of passing vehicles; the plate information is automatically checked against a database for existing unresolved violations, wants/warrants, etc.  Dispatch then receives an immediate alert of any reported stolen vehicles passing through a covered intersection, as well as vehicles listed as “wanted” in connection with crimes, missing persons, arrest warrants associated with a vehicle, and stolen license plates. 

 

CCPD cited a recent attempted robbery and murder at a 7-11 at La Cienega and Washington Blvds.  If the ALPRs were in place, they would have taken a picture of the car’s license plate which would have assisted in the apprehension of the suspects.  Other local law enforcement agencies use ALPRs:  CHP, La County Sheriff’s Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Manhattan Beach, Hawthorne, Torrance Montebello, Monrovia, Beverly Hills, Downey. 

 

CCPD would like residents to express their support of the proposed technologies at upcoming City Council meetings either in person or by writing to the council. 

 

Blair Hills Neighborhood Home Association Meeting adjourned at approximately 8:20 p.m.

(Minutes by Stephanie Maxberry.)

 

 

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