Wanting more protection, business owners The Hillcrest neighborhood of San Diego have hired private security services to patrol the streets.
It comes as police have investigated pellet gun attacks and hateful vandalism in the area over the past year.
You could say there’s a new sheriff in town: a private security company called Citiguard. He is based in Los Angeles. Citiguard officers John and Keith have been walking the Hillcrest beat since Sunday.
“We have received good feedback from the business owners,” John said. “We helped a person in need with respiratory problems. We have an ambulance coming. »
Four officers in teams of two will roam the community seven hours a day, every day. They carry radios and telephones and have mobile control for faster response.
“We look for anything unusual,” John said. “If there’s property damage or graffiti. If there are people hanging around where they’re not supposed to go.”
Gioia’s Room Boutique is a popular women’s clothing store on Fifth Avenue. Gioia Marino and her mother have been in the business in Hillcrest for nearly 13 years.
“We should not find ourselves in a situation where we have to provide self-policing or neighborhood safety,” Marino said.
Marino says Sundays are sometimes the worst. She expects at least one altercation with someone suffering from depression or causing trouble in or near the store. But last Sunday was different.
“I didn’t have an incident all day,” Marino said. “I remember thinking, ‘I wonder why?’ Then I remembered it was December 1st, the very first day this security started.”
Hillcrest raised more than $800,000 this summer through a vote of commercial building owners. It was adopted by an overwhelming majority, more than 61%. It will fund street safety, cleaning and beautification. Since it’s a per square meter tax, the bigger you are, the more you pay. With all the developments taking place at Hillcrest, the security force will be permanent.
“Having a presence with security guards roaming the neighborhood, not just standing in one place, but walking and interacting with people, it’s really a change in tone,” said Benjamin Nicholls, executive director of the Hillcrest Business Association.
Three teenagers accused in a series of hate crime-related attacks in Hillcrest have pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors say they committed the crimes with a fourth teen who had already been charged in September. NBC 7’s Shandel Menezes has the latest.
Nicholls says last summer’s problems motivated business owners.
Nightclub VIP host Rich was shot in the eye with a gel pellet. That same night, other people outside Hillcrest clubs came under fire. Vicious hate-filled tags appeared on several utility boxes and murals. Vandals destroyed property.
“People felt like we were under attack,” Nicholls said. “People had a feeling of unease in the streets.”
THE LGBTQ Law Enforcement Summit in June led to a greater concentration of police in the Hillcrest business district. Deputy Police Chief Mike Holden says private security is a welcome next step.
“They can see and report back to us what they see, so we can increase our capacity to respond to the community,” Holden said.
The city has increased the number of smart cameras in Hillcrest. Some business owners even offer a few of these. While they are effective at solving crime after the fact, Nicholls says it is a proactive response.
“When you see someone in the neighborhood just monitoring things, they have the logo on their back, they have the badge, that presence goes a long way,” Nicholls said.
The trade association’s director says the security program could expand to more officers working day and night. The community also plans to equip homeless mobilization teams to provide people with the services and assistance they need.