Westside : Police Substation Funded by Community Group Opens
A new Los Angeles Police Department drop-in facility opened Monday in Venice.
The center, a 280-square-foot office, will give police officers patrolling the Oakwood area a place to do paperwork, make telephone calls and meet with residents rather than being forced to return to the Pacific Division station several miles away, community organizers said.
“It is about a 15- to 20-minute drive back to headquarters,” said Carol Tantau-Smith, treasurer of the Abbot Kinney District Assn., a merchants and residents’ group that raised the funds to open the facility. “This keeps the officers in the neighborhood and on the job.”
The association will pay $340 a month in rent in addition to utilities and telephone charges for the center at 583 3/4 Venice Blvd. The money comes from donations and association dues, Tantau-Smith said.
Capt. David Doan, Pacific Division commander, said 20 to 30 officers patrolling the area will use the facility. The drop-in center will only be open to residents when officers are present, he said.
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