The city of West Hollywood is expanding its public safety plan in the Rainbow District ahead of the annual Halloween Carnaval. (photo courtesy of the city of West Hollywood)

Following an uptick in fights and violence in the Rainbow District, the city of West Hollywood has announced expansions to its public safety plan. The expanded plan includes additional unarmed private security personnel, city code enforcement officers and increased Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department personnel dedicated to the Rainbow District, Director of Community Safety Danny Rivas said.

The Rainbow District is a lively one-mile strip of Santa Monica Boulevard, bordered by La Cienega Boulevard and Doheny Drive. Home to over 50 businesses, the district hosts some of the city’s largest events, including WeHo Pride and the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval.

The new city code enforcement officers and security will work with the existing LASD Entertainment Policing Team, a specialized unit dedicated to policing nightlife and alcohol-related incidents in West Hollywood, Rivas said. The existing LASD EPT Unit consists of one sergeant and five deputies. The city is funding additional LASD deputies to provide supplemental support to the EPT Unit as needed, particularly during periods of increased activity.

The city will also contract with Allied Universal to create a new level of security called “entertainment safety officers,” Rivas said during the first September meeting of the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Unlike code enforcement officers, whose job is to observe and report, the unarmed entertainment safety officers will be expected to take steps to de-escalate violent incidents. It is unclear how the safety officers will be expected to de-escalate situations.

Expanding public safety in the Rainbow District has been a topic among city officials since June, when the city said it would expand security and code enforcement capabilities. Recent incidents – including fights on public sidewalks and altercations inside businesses – have prompted city officials to plan to complete safety developments by Oct. 31, before the annual West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval. This event typically draws between 100,000 and 200,000 people to the city.

“Over the past several months, there have been several fights in the Rainbow District, including incidents that occurred on public sidewalks,” Rivas said. “Most recently, two separate altercations occurred inside two different businesses. These incidents, along with concerns raised by members of the business community, prompted the city to further enhance its public safety presence in the area.”

The first incident Rivas cited occurred at Revolver Video Bar WeHo on Sept. 7 when a man was struck in the face with a glass bottle, according to social media posts from witnesses. That same night, a second incident unfolded at Mother Lode where a security guard got into a violent confrontation with a customer. Witnesses also reported several separate street fights and additional violence in the Rainbow District all in the same night.

Since West Hollywood’s incorporation in 1984, the city has contracted with LASD to provide traditional and non-traditional public safety and law enforcement services, according to the city of West Hollywood. LASD provides West Hollywood with 24-hour services through sworn and non-sworn law enforcement personnel based out of the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station.

At press time, the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station had not responded to requests for comment.

The city also contracts with security firms to deploy unarmed security ambassadors on bicycles, foot and vehicle patrols across all business districts and residential neighborhoods. Security ambassadors are also assigned to city facilities, parks and stationary kiosks located along Santa Monica Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard and Melrose Avenue.

“The city already has a strong community safety foundation,” Rivas said. “The latest enhancements build on these existing resources by adding unarmed private security personnel, city code enforcement officers and supplemental LASD support to provide an even more visible and coordinated public safety presence.”

The city’s safety plan also includes a contract with Flock Safety that has placed over 50 real-time cameras throughout West Hollywood, managed through a real-time watch center. The city has not disclosed the locations of the cameras or their effectiveness in solving crimes.