Police to Discuss Sepulveda Task Force

The Panorama City Neighborhood Assn. will have a holiday potluck meeting Wednesday evening to discuss a unique Los Angeles Police Department task force made up of officers from the Van Nuys and Devonshire divisions.

The meeting will include a report from Senior Lead Officer Randy Hoffmaster and an update on the Sepulveda Task Force from Sgt. Tony Avila.

The 10-member task force was established this year to fight drug dealing and gang activity at the Sepulveda Recreation Center, parts of which are within the geographic boundaries of both divisions.

In addition to the LAPD task force, the park area has recently been the target of an experimental community policing program.

Although many people in the area have praised efforts to clean up the park, others say police have gone too far. Petitions circulated recently by officers proposing that the park’s lights be turned off at night angered members of a nighttime soccer league, who said it would only harm people using the park for legitimate purposes.

Leslie Yamashita, director of the homeowners association, said everyone is welcome to come and hear the officers as well as to ask questions.

“This is an opportunity for people to get a general sense of what the task force is doing and also to report to police about things that they have noticed happening in their neighborhoods,” said Yamashita.

The meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the Mission Community Medical Building, Room 208, 14860 Roscoe Blvd.