The operations manager of a security firm contracted to take over law enforcement duties from sworn deputies in West Hollywood, California, was once charged with murder and armed robbery in Georgia, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said.
West Hollywood may be just 1.9 square miles, but its crime rate is among the highest in the nation, as 1 out of 174 people will be a victim of crime. It has an index of 8 — meaning it’s safer than just 8% of America’s cities, Neighborhood Scout reports.
Despite this, the West Hollywood City Council voted last month to replace four sheriff’s deputies with a team of civilian blue shirt ambassadors who will walk the city in a neighborhood policing concept.
“We took action to redistribute our public safety funds in a way that makes sense for our community’s needs and, in fact, adds over 26 new positions to our reimagined public safety team, plus full supplemental reserve funding for LASD,” Councilwoman Sepi Shyne told Fox News.
MAN WHO SPENT DECADES IN PRISON FOR MALCOLM X MURDER SUES
Villanueva, who has been outspoken against Los Angeles politicians who favor a “woke” agenda over safety, was outraged over the cuts, particularly given that the firm employs a man who was convicted of manslaughter.
The contractor, Block By Block, says it offers “highly visible … ambassadors [who] will not only provide a sense of security, but will also serve as the welcoming presence that will set your public space apart.”
The local West Hollywood news site WEHOville watched the ambassadors for a day and noted with photographs that they sat behind kiosks and looked at their phones.
Meanwhile, the operations manager since 2013 was convicted of charges of murder and armed robbery in Georgia in 1995, along with an accompanying drug charge. Court records show that the charge was downgraded to manslaughter and the person was allowed to complete his sentence in California.
“The City Council says they are enhancing public safety because they are replacing four deputies with 30 unarmed ambassadors,” Villanueva told the Washington Examiner. “The city knew about his criminal history because they received an email about it. He committed murder and plea bargained to manslaughter and did eight years.”
Villanueva said the majority of the city council is so anti-law enforcement that “they don’t bother vetting who they replace cops with, so they settled on a convicted murderer.”
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The West Hollywood City Council could not be reached Friday, and Block By Block did not respond to a phone call and email seeking comment.
“There is going to be a reckoning,” Villanueva said.
