Late Wednesday night, LAPD officers carried out a burglary task force operation in Hancock Park. Officers from multiple specialized units, including vice, narcotics, and gangs, tracked suspects involved in recent burglaries and officers arrested multiple suspects. The effort marked an important step in addressing property crime across the City. My office has heard from neighbors worried about home and car break-ins, and while overall crime rates fluctuate, these incidents have a real impact on our collective sense of community safety.

LAPD has been working to target burglary crews more aggressively, and this operation was made possible in part by overtime funding my office secured last fall. One of the most effective ways to improve public safety is ensuring officers have the resources to respond quickly and deploy strategically when crime spikes.

At the same time, public safety is about more than just enforcement. My office is also working to accelerate street light repairs, expand neighborhood watch programs, and invest in community-driven solutions that help prevent crime in the first place. Making our neighborhoods more resilient means using every tool available, and I’m committed to partnering with our City departments and neighborhoods to tackle the issue from all sides.

I’m grateful to LAPD’s Wilshire Division for their work on this operation and for their ongoing efforts to keep our neighborhoods safe. If you have public safety concerns or ideas on how we can make our communities safer, my office is always here.

All my best,

Katy

Volunteering at LAHSA's Point-In-Time Count
This week, my entire team participated in LAHSA's annual Point-In-Time Count, covering the Greater Wilshire, Mid-City West, Pico-Robertson, and Westwood areas. Every year, thousands of Angelenos take part in this critical effort to gather data on homelessness in our city. I’m grateful to everyone who volunteered their time to make sure we have the information necessary to get people the help they need.

Tour of Metro’s Nearly-Complete Wilshire La Brea Station!
On Thursday, I joined Congresswoman Laura Friedman and Congressman Rick Larsen for a tour of the new Wilshire/La Brea station, which opens this Fall as part of Phase One of the Metro D-Line extension! Once fully operational, the D-Line extension will fundamentally transform how Angelenos get around Mid-City and the Westside. Folks will only use the system, though, if they feel and are safe while using it. My office is working closely with Metro on ways to activate these spaces by embedding small businesses like coffee shops and shops onsite, and holding regular community events so the physical spaces are welcoming, vibrant, and safe.

Honoring Black History Month at FAME Church
This past Sunday, my team and I joined Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Mayor Karen Bass, Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, and Councilmembers Curren Price and Heather Hutt for First African Methodist Episcopal’s African American Worship Celebration. As the oldest Black church in Los Angeles, FAME has long been a cornerstone of faith, activism, and community, and this event was a powerful reminder of the legacy of Black leadership in our city. I was honored to celebrate Black History Month with such an inspiring faith community.

Visiting Yeshiva Rav Isacsohn – Toras Emes Academy
I toured Yeshiva Rav Isacsohn – Toras Emes Academy, the largest Orthodox Jewish school west of the Mississippi and sat down with the Academy’s leadership last week. Founded in 1959, the Academy started with classes held in local homes and has since grown into a thriving institution with six buildings and over 1,000 students. During my visit, I toured both the boys' and girls' schools and school leadership shared exciting plans for a new state-of-the-art building for girls, set to break ground later this year.

Improving LA’s Red Flag Warning System
This week, the City Council passed a motion I co-introduced with Councilmember Nithya Raman to strengthen Los Angeles’ response to Red Flag Warnings. Right now, the city’s Red Flag restrictions mostly focus on limiting street parking in high-risk areas to allow emergency vehicle access. But as we saw during last month’s wildfires, we need to do more to ensure streets in high fire severity zones are kept clear, both for first responders and to facilitate egress in case of an evacuation order.

Our motion directs city departments to assess and improve emergency protocols—formalizing how we close parks, restrict high-risk activities like grilling and construction, and communicate Red Flag restrictions to the public. It also calls for a review of fines for violations of these restrictions, ensuring violations result in real consequences. This effort is about using lessons learned from recent emergencies to create a more proactive, coordinated approach that protects people and property before fires start​.

Council also passed this week a motion I co-introduced with Councilmember Adrin Nazarian directing LADWP to assess its emergency preparedness for water infrastructure in the face of extreme weather and climate change. The report will evaluate existing maintenance protocols for reservoirs, water conveyance systems, and contingency plans for emergency situations​.

The Council approved a motion this week to provide additional parking permits for residents sheltering people displaced by the Palisades and Eaton fires. Residents in preferential parking districts who have taken in evacuees will now be eligible for up to four additional temporary permits, ensuring they can accommodate family members or friends who have lost their homes.

This month, we’re recognizing the people and places in our district that have shaped Black history in Los Angeles and across the world. This week, we are focusing on Quincy Jones, a musical pioneer and a dedicated advocate for racial justice. A longtime Bel Air resident, he shaped the sound of modern music, working with artists as diverse as Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, and Aretha Franklin. He also played an important role in the Civil Rights Movement, using his platform to organize benefit concerts, uplift Dr. King’s work for racial justice, and bring attention to racial inequality through his work in film and television.

He was one of the first Black composers to score major Hollywood films and helped pave the way for more representation in the entertainment industry. As a producer and executive, he mentored and championed Black artists at a time when the industry offered them few opportunities. Later, he launched Vibe Magazine to highlight Black culture and was a driving force behind We Are the World, which raised millions for famine relief in Africa.

His impact lives on in the music he created, the artists he uplifted, and the opportunities he fought to expand.

TODAY: Los Angeles Black History Month Festival | Sunday, February 23
Join us for the Los Angeles Black History Month Festival on February 23, 2025, from 11 AM to 6 PM at Pan Pacific Park! This inspiring event, co-hosted by my office and Open Arms Food Pantry & Resource Center will feature powerful keynote speakers, community leaders, and engaging activities that celebrate Black history, culture, and resilience.

New Traffic Signal on Genesee Ave & Melrose Ave
This week, a new traffic signal was activated at Genesee Ave and Melrose Avenue. The signal went live on Wednesday, February 19, improving safety for drivers and pedestrians at this busy intersection.