Maybe the Help Line Number Should Be 1-800-SHYSTER

Look out, unscrupulous lawyers: Bennett’s got a bill.

Broadening his crusade against dishonest attorneys, activist Howard Bennett of Playa Del Rey has drafted a proposal that would set up an 800 number people could call to find out if a lawyer they plan to hire has been suspended or disbarred.

Bennett says he hopes the measure will be introduced as state and--perhaps eventually--federal legislation, though so far no sponsors have stepped forward.

In November, Bennett, a retired high school English teacher, launched the Legal Skunk Hall of Fame, a monthly award intended to spotlight lawyers who wrong their clients. He says he hopes the award and the proposed 800 number will help prevent “rotten apples” in the legal profession from ripping off clients.

“It’s not a personal vendetta,” Bennett said. “I’ve gotten to the broader picture where I’m looking at the future victims. I want to help them.”

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PARTY’S OVER: Just when you thought it was safe to ignore the parking meters, Santa Monica is once again on the prowl for red flags.

Because many parking garages were cordoned off after the earthquake, the city stopped issuing tickets. Temporarily. By last Sunday, the dreaded ticket-writers were back on the job.

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NO GENEVA: Hollywood was picked as the site for Gov. Pete Wilson’s crime summit in part because of its “moderate-to-high level” of crime, according to a spokeswoman for the governor.

Not the greatest credential, to be sure, for a city seeking the conference and convention trade, but Hollywood business leaders don’t mind.

Leron Gubler, executive director of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, says he was glad Hollywood was chosen for Monday’s and Tuesday’s meetings of state officials, crime experts and victims of crime.

“It brings business to our local hotels and facilities here in Hollywood, which we need,” he said. And the conference, Gubler observed, helped highlight that the community “has been working very hard” to deal with crime.

Hollywood does appear to be making headway. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, so-called Part I offenses and attempts (homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, and various types of theft) have declined in the Hollywood area in each of the past two years. That includes a 4.8% drop last year.