Kaluderovic’s crossing guards added at Ralston and Lilienthal
Starting April 18, Redondo Beach Police will place a crossing guard at Lilienthal Avenue and Ralston Lane.
Newly elected City Councilmember Paige Kaluderovic campaigned on the need for crossing guards at the intersection. The change came about after discussion between Kaluderovic, Police Chief Joe Hoffman and City Manager Mike Witzansky. The move is permanent, paid for out of the police general fund.
“It’s based on cost savings from vacancies during the current fiscal year,” said Hoffman.
He noted that more funding will be requested in the coming 2023-24 city budget talks if needed for the next school year.
Obagi State Bar trial starts next week
The State Bar case against City Councilman Zein Obagi, Jr., is set to begin next Tuesday, April 18.
Obagi, at the city council meeting Tuesday night, thanked city officials for letters of support submitted to the judge, including from Mayor Brand, Councilmen Nils Nehrenheim and Todd Loewenstein, and new city treasurer Eugene Solomon, along with constituents from District Four.
“I look forward to continuing to serve for the next two years at least,” Obagi said.
He is on trial for 12 charges, for alleged actions stemming from a financial dealing with a former client, and the subsequent malpractice suit Obagi filed against his attorney in the matter.
RBPD looks to public to expand video network
The Redondo Beach Police Department invites residents to join its “Digital Public Safety Network,” by registering their security cameras at connectredondobeach.org.
The list, begun in November 2021, allows investigators to know a camera is at a given location in case a need might occur in the area to request video evidence.
“The use of technology is essential to the success of law enforcement in today’s society,” said Redondo Beach Police Chief Joe Hoffman. “Having a platform that allows limited access to already functioning systems across the entire city has a very positive impact on the overall level of safety in Redondo Beach, and allows for increased efficiency and effectiveness in our investigative abilities.”
The program does not give police access to anyone’s video. To date, 81 cameras are registered with the city.
Flinn, Cho sworn-in for school board
In a special session April 3 of the Redondo Unified school board, incumbent Raymur Flinn was sworn-in for a second term, and Byung Cho was sworn-in as a new boardmember, succeeding David Witken, who termed out after eight years.
City Clerk Eleanor Manzano presented Flinn and Cho each with a framed certificate from the March 7 election, and presided over the swearing-in.
“This is my favorite thing to do for my job,” Manzano said of swearing-in new elected officials.
Obagi: consider lifting International Boardwalk dog ban
In a request Tuesday night, after a city council decision to continue a study of whether to contract with L.A. county for its fire department, Councilman Zein Obagi, Jr., asked that a future agenda include a discussion of a repeal of the dog ban on the International Boardwalk – instead to just require leashes.
City Manager Mike Witzansky marked it down.
“That (issue) might almost be as controversial as the fire study,” he said with a chuckle, after noting it would likely not make an agenda until after annual budget discussions in May and June.
RBPD draws focus on handicapped-parking violations
More than 20 citations were written by Redondo Beach Police the week of March 27-31 for disabled parking space violations.
It was part of a collaboration between the RBPD’s Quality of Life officers, Municipal Services officers and Volunteers in Policing, focused on disabled parking.
Each year local police and residents work to ensure community members with disabilities are protected. March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.
For the full year 2022, a total of 208 citations were issued in Redondo for illegal parking in disabled person’s spaces.
Some of those violations include unlawful parking, and blocking or crowding a marked disabled space.
“The RBPD is committed to bringing awareness to the barriers people with developmental disabilities may face to ensure everyone has equal access to opportunities in all aspects of life,” said Captain Jon Naylor, Special Operations bureau commander.
As part of the Police Department’s Special Operations Bureau, the Municipal Services Officers primary function is to enforce the City’s parking and animal control regulations.
Fifteen full and part-time employees make up the Police Department’s Municipal Services Unit. ER
