Senior Lead Officer Mike Lewis, the Los Angeles Police Department's community liaison for Studio City, answered questions about noise, barking dogs, nightclubs, leaf blowers, coyotes and other community issues to a group of residents recently.
The questions were in response to queries made to the Land Use Committee of the Studio City Neighborhood Council.
What do the police do about leaf blower noise?
“Gas blowers are illegal, and they cannot be within 500 feet of any residence at any time,” Lewis said. He said most people would rather that police spend time fighting crime than fining gardeners.
“It is not a big issue for us,” Lewis said.
Studio City Neighborhood Council member and Municipal Court Judge Richard Neiderberg said that many gardeners get off charges by saying their devices use ethanol and not gasoline.
Noise from nightclubs:
“Noise from clubs along Ventura Boulevard is a problem that is longer than I’ve been here," Lewis said, and added: "There is an echo effect with the hillside."
He said he would like to work more closely with the city's Building and Safety department on such issues. He said he would send out officers to check on the situation and issue citations if there are many complaints.
Illegally parked cars:
“There is no way now to get a new restricted parking zone until the budget situation in the city settles,” Lewis said.
He said he has warned people many times to keep valuables out of sight to avoid
Barking dogs:
“If I get the complaint I will check it out, but it’s best to call the East Valley Animal Control, 888-452-7381," Lewis said. It is helpful to get a video or audio recording of the dogs, he said.
Animal Control hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday though Saturday; noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Abandoned cars:
You can call 800-ABANDON to report the vehicle, Lewis said. Make sure that you provide the year, make, model, color and license plate number of the vehicle. The vehicle must have been abandoned for more than 72 hours (three days).
Coyotes:
“For the most part, there is not much the police can do about coyotes, and neither can Animal Control," Lewis said. "I recommend you watch your pets.”
What about people who say they use a BB gun to keep coyotes away?
“Well, that could be a charge of animal cruelty, so I would advise against that," Lewis said. "And, if there’s a real gun used, that will wind you up in jail for sure.”
To contact Senior Lead Officer Mike Lewis directly with crime complaints and concerns, his info is: 31575@lapd.lacity.org.
