Los Angeles County Sheriff Comes to Lynwood—Promises More Community Policing

City Council, Alex Villanueva and Captain Carter

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva held a Town Hall Meeting in Lynwood Tuesday night—promising to increase the number of deputies in the area and improve community policing.

The Sheriff spoke with about 100 residents of Lynwood and surrounding communities at the Lynwood Worship Center—and answered questions for about 90 minutes.

“We’re pleased that the Sheriff came to the community and discussed public safety issues with our residents,” said Mayor Aide Castro. “His discussion on reducing crime is a reminder that all of us have a role to play in making Lynwood safe and that it’s important if you see something, you say something.”

Mayor Castro, Mayor Pro Tem Jorge Casanova, and Councilmembers Sal Alatorre and Marisela Santana all attended the Town Hall, which was the 26th the Sheriff has held around L.A. County this year.

Other than showing a video of the 169-year history of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, there was no agenda—the Sheriff was there to answer questions from the community.

Topics included:

  • Youth using drugs and what the Sheriff’s Department is doing to help make sure that local schools are safe.
  • Human Trafficking—and what the Special Victims Bureau is doing to combat it.
  • Active Shooter Protocols and the training that the Sheriff’s office will conduct for schools, malls and other “soft targets”.
  • Combating speeding and parking issues that plague many cities in our region.
  • The role the department plays in combatting homelessness.
  • Various other topics, including gang violence, and unlicensed cannabis shops

    • Villanueva was joined on stage by Captain Kerry Carter of the Century Station which provides policing to the city of Lynwood.

    The Sheriff, who was touting a 7% reduction in crime county-wide and a double-digit reduction in jail violence, did return to a common theme—hiring more local deputies and improving community policing.

    “I want you to know the deputy who works in your neighborhood and for that deputy to know you,” the Sheriff said.
    To do that, he’ll have to hire more deputies—in fact 15 deputies are slated to be hired at the Century Station in the next year.

    “I want to hire locally, in fact I don’t want to hire anyone who doesn’t live in LA County,” he said.
    Many members of the audience expressed their gratitude that the Sheriff would come to the community.

    Lynwood Mayor Pro Tem Jorge Casanova agreed.

    “Public Safety is a top priority for the city of Lynwood. Having the Sheriff in our city and talking with our residents Tuesday night is a positive step toward making sure that we are keeping our city and our residents safe,” said Casanova.

    December 11, 2019 in Lynwood Spotlight