Silver Lake Shooting Could Lead to More Neighborhood Watches
A last-minute community meeting yesterday in response to Monday's shooting and slow LAPD response times in Silver Lake's Sunset Junction district brought out the crowds. About 50 concerned stakeholders attended and were left with hopes that the neighborhood's fear of an upward crime trend would soon be reversed.
"It went well," said Matt Solodky of Dangerbird Records, the business that was struck by at least two bullets Monday afternoon. "We hope to make this a monthly event."
The meeting opened up communication between stakeholders and police with the possibility of the creation of some new neighborhood watches. "Dr.
Martin Luther King once spoke about the "conscience of the community"--and I believe that conscience is revitalized whenever we come together to condemn and take action against violence in our neighborhoods," said the area's representative, Councilmember Eric Garcetti, in a statement. Garcetti himself could not make the meeting but he did send a staff member, who offered assistance in starting up any new neighborhood watches.
At the meeting, Captain William Murphy defended the department saying that accusations of officers arriving 20 and 40 minutes after the 911 calls were wrong. He said a helicopter arrived a few minutes after the shooting and officers on the ground arrived in 10 minutes, according to The Eastsider LA.
Garcetti said he spoke with LAPD Chief Charlie Beck about the incident "He shares my concern... about the Department’s response time, and assured me that he will take steps to address this matter."
Murphy also noted that burglaries and vehicle break-ins continue to plague the area.