Sunday afternoon about 35 La Brea Hancock neighbors gathered at the green space between Mansfield and Citrus to kick off efforts to reorganize their Neighborhood Watch program.
La Brea Hancock HOA president Barbara Savage explained that idea of bringing back the Neighborhood Watch grew out of her successful efforts to implement an Interim Control Ordinance (ICO) to stop tear-downs in the neighborhood until the City revised its Base Mansionization Ordinance to better protect the neighborhood of smaller homes from being torn down and replaced with McMansions. Savage and other neighborhood leaders organized residents to protect the architectural heritage of the neighborhood,  and then realized it was time to further protect the residents and their property with a Neighborhood Watch program.
Frank and Tammy Rosato will head up the new watch effort, as well as update the association’s website LaBreaHancock.com, where residents can get more information.  The Rosatos recently completed the Los Angeles Police Department’s eleven-week Community Police Academy, giving them an in-depth look at LAPD operations.
“We need to watch out for each other, we need to have each other’s backs,” said Frank Rosato.
LAPD Senior Lead Office Dave Cordova commended the Rosatos and the residents.
“The more people that get involved, the easier this makes our job,” said Cordova. “This is what community policing is all about.”
Cordova told residents that most of the crimes committed in the neighborhood are property crimes, which are very preventable. In a similar message he delivered to the Larchmont Village Neighborhood Association, Cordova urged residents to lock their homes and cars and remove any personal property from their vehicles. He also urged residents to report crimes, noting the allocation of police resources is driven by crime stats.
“People have to report crimes,” said Cordova. “We have to have crime stats to support the request for extra resources. It’s almost your civic duty, if not for you, then for your neighbors.”
CD4 representative Nikki Ezhari presented Certificates of Appreciation to Frank and Tammy Rosato on behalf of Council member David Ryu’s office.
Deputy City Attorney Mehrnnoosh “Nooshi” Zahiri also offered her office’s help to residents. In addition, Michael Cortez and Billy Parent, representing Metro’s Purple Line Construction project, were there to answer any questions about the ongoing construction in the Wilshire/La Brea area.
