Mayor Tells Seniors Safety Is Top Priority

Frances Goldsmith of North Hills waited patiently Monday for Mayor Richard Riordan to arrive for his talk to senior citizens in the San Fernando Valley. She wanted to ask him if he would put more police on the streets here.

She was skeptical about his motives for agreeing to speak at the Warner Center Marriott to members of Older Adult Service Informational Systems--guessing that they were possibly political--but she was still excited about meeting him in person. She’d only seen him on TV previously, she said.

“I want more police in the Valley,” she said, writing her question down on a card prior the OASIS meeting. “I’ve never had to use them myself, but I’ve heard that the response time is so slow.”

And Riordan obliged, focusing his comments on safety and strengthening law enforcement. “Safety is our No. 1 issue, from safety falls all else.”

But Riordan also said a safer city starts with people like his audience of more than 75 seniors.

“We need to start empowering neighborhoods,” he said, “getting people like yourselves involved. It’s going to take organization from the grass-roots and getting the attention and the help of government.”

The seniors also asked his opinion of the San Fernando Valley’s possible secession from the city of Los Angeles. It would be devastating to the city as a whole, the mayor said, and it would “not be advantageous to the Valley.”

Riordan said his office has tried to improve the level of city services in the Valley.

“The Valley still deserves more than it’s getting, but we’ve come a long way,” Riordan said. “And I think just the threat of secession will wake up politicians to do more for the Valley.”