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Called to order around 12:30 PM by President Ben Fisher, to the warm and friendly Westwood Village Rotary Club.
Opening Remarks:
- Our illustrious President Ben Fisher welcomed attendees, including the three representatives from the LAPD.
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President Ben made brief reference to the Magic of Rotary, upcoming Easter Sunday, and Passover.
Meeting Program:
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The Pledge of Allegiance: Bill Roen
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Thought of the Day: Dr. Bob Simon – Reflected on Passover and the meaning behind the traditions, rituals, and family history.
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Song of the Day: “Easter Parade” led by PP Ed Gauld
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Greeter – Nanci Cohen
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Windmill Drawing: PP Mark Rogo
Guests & Members:
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Ziba Nejad (former member) reintroduced herself. It was wonderful to see her back again.
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Ethan Kim – our prospective new member who will be voted on by the Board in a few days.
- Guest Speaker Intro by Peter More:
o Captain Richard Gabaldon (27-year LAPD veteran, USC and Cal State Dominguez Hills grad)
o Introduced Sgt. Scott Alpert 36921@lapd.online (Community Relations), and Senior Lead Officer James Allen 39318@lapd.online
International Service Update:
o This project was co-sponsored by our Club along with five other Rotary Clubs under Nevin Senkan’s leadership, and is now completed.
o It focused on pediatric care at Cerrahpasa Hospital Istanbul, University faculty of medicine, purchasing a hemodialysis machine for the Pediatric Nephrology unit.
Guest Speaker: Captain Richard Gabaldon, LAPD, West L.A. Division (read his bio)
- The Captain has been serving the west LA Division since 2023.
- He noted the low violent crime rate in West LA but acknowledged recent challenges including fires and protests.
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This division covers 65 square miles – the largest geographical area in the LAPD.
Department Statistics & Updates:
o Pre-2020: 10,000+ officers
o Currently: 8,700 officers
o Now it is budgeted for 9,300 officers (600 in academy training) although the projected budget city deficit may change that.
o Robberies: ↓ 31%
o Aggravated assaults: ↓ 21%
o Property crime: ↓ 21%
o Grand theft auto: ↓ 25%
o Burglaries: ↑ 12%
o Two organized burglary crews have been identified (one tied to South Central gangs and the other from a South American country)
Protests & Public Safety:
- There has been significant LAPD involvement in managing protests near the Federal Building and Israeli Consulate.
- Mutual aid agreements are in place with Culver City PD, Santa Monica PD, and Glendale PDs.
- There is ongoing security support at UCLA, Getty Center, synagogues, and high-risk locations.
Technology & Tools:
- Advanced ALPR (automated license plate recognition) cameras aiding real-time tracking of speeding vehicles, coordinating with other cameras, to track the bad guys.
- New use of drones is on the rise for surveillance and pursuit, and being used by local community organizations as a crime fighting tool.
- A Real-Time Crime Center supports officers with live video monitoring.
- The emphasis is on private security for local communities.
- The average emergency response time in this Division is 6 minutes, largely due to the geographic expanse of 65 square miles.
Q&A Session Highlights:
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PP Gordon Fell: General safety question.
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PPx2 Chris Gaynor: Compared response times in gated communities vs. private security.
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Pres Ben Fisher: Noted 2nd Amendment rights and responsible self-defense.
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PP Michael Newman: Asked about car chases on TV.
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Christine Clayburg: Inquired about safety in neighborhoods around UCLA.
- Dr. Bob Simon:
o Asked about common LAPD injury: back injuries.
o Auto theft targets: KIA and Hyundai vehicles (often due to keys left in vehicles).
o Tandem parking theft trend: thieves steal both cars, because owners leave keys in vehicles to make it easier to move them when one is blocking the other.
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Janet Schwartz: Asked about differences in 9-1-1 response times from landlines vs. cell phones.
o Average time to answer a 9-1-1 call:
7 minutes
Other Notes:
- Checkpoints around Pacific Palisades will be removed by end of April.
Closing:
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President Ben Fisher thanked Captain Gabaldon, presented him with a certificate of appreciation and a gift, and extended for the umpteenth time, an invitation to join Rotary
Respectfully submitted,
PP Mark Rogo (major Diane Good and Jim Crane fan)
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