West Hills Neighborhood Council

WHNC requests more police staffing in the West Valley

Citing more than two years of crime increases in the western San Fernando Valley, the West Hills Neighborhood Council has called on city officials to restore police staffing at the LAPD’s Topanga Division to its originally intended strength.

At its March 2 meeting, the WHNC Board of Directors unanimously passed a resolution urging the LAPD to allocate no fewer than seven basic car units to the Topanga Division and return staffing levels to those that existed when the Topanga Community Police Station opened in 2009.

The WHNC also urged the Westfield Corporation to adhere to earlier city recommendations by funding appropriate police resources for the Village and other projects. These resources would supplement Topanga’s staffing so that its restored basic car units are not drawn away from neighborhood patrols.

The resolution notes that the population in areas served by the Topanga Division increased by approximately 17,000 people between 2009 and 2015. In the same period staffing has decreased, partly because Topanga personnel have been reassigned to other parts of the city where crime rates are higher.

Copies of the WHNC’s resolution — part of a joint effort initially spearheaded by the Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council — were sent to Los Angeles City Councilmembers Mitchell Englander and Bob Blumenfield, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Police Chief Charlie Beck and Topanga Division Capt. Maureen Ryan.

CLICK HERE to see the resolution.