Some Deputies From Malibu At UCLA Booking Protestors, But Patrols Here Continue

The eyes of the nation are on UCLA this morning.

Rubber bullets were fired at pro-Gaza protestors this morning … 24 hours after a pro-Israel mob was allowed to attack the illegal protest camp with fireworks and metal sticks.

Sheriff’s deputies from the Malibu-Lost Hills station are among the thousands of police officers at the massive show of force at UCLA for the past two nights.

Detectives … special task force members … and others have been mobilized.

Every available deputy is wearing their uniform today.

Sheriff’s Captain Jennifer Seetoo says minimum staffing levels are being maintained in Malibu … but every available deputy has been sent to UCLA.

The university president … meanwhile … has ordered an investigation into the inaction of UCLA police early yesterday morning.

That’s when a mob of pro-Israeli counterprotestors violently attacked the pro-Gaza encampment on the Westwood campus. 

These counterprotestors disagreed with the pro-Palestinian protesters and decided to bust up the camp themselves.

Campus police stood by as the violence escalated one night ago.

But not so this morning.

Faculty for Justice in Palestine member Graeme Blair said student protesters are being “violently dragged” from the encampment by CHP. 

Blair said in the statement that some of the students are clearly injured. 

“Their blood is on Gene Block and the UC administration’s hands for a series of catastrophic decisions over the last two days,” he said. “It did not need to be this way.”

The Jewish Federation of Los Angeles also blasted the University for the violence that took place on the campus of UCLA. 

It said “the abhorrent actions of a few counter-protestors do not represent the Jewish community or our values. 

“We believe in peaceful, civic discourse and the enforcement of school policy regarding encampments”

The Jewish Federation blamed the UCLA chancellor for allowing an environment to be created over many months that has made students feel unsafe … 

This … by allowing illegal encampments in violation of its own laws, and by refusing to censure faculty and staff who flouted UCLA’s Code of Conduct.”

The latest this morning …

The encampment received another dispersal notice from authorities at 12:30 a.m. on Thursday: leave now. A medic in the encampment said LAPD told medical staff and doctors in the area, who would be treating basic injuries such as pepper spraying, to be prepared by 1 a.m.

By 1:20 a.m. on Thursday, police officers began sweeping the encampment, with their first detainment of a protester occurring at 1:55 a.m.

“You risk serious injury,” an officer said through the megaphone during the dispersal announcement.

Police officers in the area entered the encampment via Janss Steps at 1:20 a.m., while individuals remaining in the encampment shouted, “We’re not leaving!” and “Who do you protect?”

 

Public Safety Commission Recommends Permanent Tow Yard At Upper Chili Cookoff Lot, Temporarily

Malibu’s Public Safety Commission has voted to put a semi-permanent tow yard on a section of the chili cook off site … 

That land was purchased with the intention of building a park … and the city right now is asking residents want they want to see there in a formal process. 

The commission last night voted to bypass that … and claim a small but prominent part of the chili cook off lot …

The vote reflects the urgent need to find a permanent location for an impound yard.

The Malibu High School parking lot can be used during summer months. 

But last weekend … more than 150 cars were parked at times blocking driveways or fore hydrants. … as tourists descended on Point Dume. 

The commissioners had been asked to come up with a recommendation for a permanent impound yard … a place to keep cars that get towed away for blocking driveways or fire hydrants. 

In the summertime … towed cars can be impounded at a temporary yard set up in front of Malibu High School.

But last weekend was chaos on Point Dume  … 150 cars needed to be towed … and the nearest impound yard is 45 minutes away in Santa Monica. 

Commissioner Josh Spiegel voted in favor of parking the impounded cars at the chili cookout site.

70271  SPIEGEL 

“Clearing vehicles from fire hydrants from driveways from areas where pedestrians might not be able to see oncoming traffic clearing accidents … cars that aren’t dripping fluids … want to make that very clear … 

“Having the ability to have tow trucks here and available in the city to clear hazardous conditions along our highway is of the upmost importance to us.

“…And you know if it makes a few people a little bit angry to have some of the chili cook off site or a small portion of that then that’s a sacrifice that we’re going to have to make.”

One commissioner said it is clear that Malibu cannot write enough tickets to stop people from blocking traffic lanes at one hotspot … the Point Dume overlook.

Last Sunday .. one volunteer cop wrote 400 parking tickets.

Over the past two weekends … more than one thousand tickets were written at the Dume State park. 

This is not the first time that the public safety commission has decided to use vacant parkland as an impound yard. 

Two years ago… the proposed park site on Pacific Coast Highway at Point Dume was used as a temporary impound yard for one summer. 

A small group of Point Dume residents vociferously protested that.

Last night … commissioners said they need about 5 percent of the Chili Cookoff site for their proposed impound yard. 

They envision the northern end … at the top of the gentle slope.

A few houses overlook that location … two of them owned by city council members. 

MHS Parents Urged By Seetoo:  Don’t Buy Your Kid A Fast Car, And Get The App That Tracks Their Speed

Parents of Malibu High School kids were told last night … get yourself an app … track how fast your kids drive. 

That’s the primary message delivered to parents last night at an assembly to talk about carnage on local roadways… most especially … PCH.

Tye auditorium was about three quarters full … about 200 people … 

The Michel Shane movie … 21 Miles In Malibu … was screened.

Students at the school have already seen it this week … as the school emphasizes that speed and distracted driving kill.

Te movie’s producer … Michel Shane … recalled that buzzed driving used to be much more tolerated in America than it is now. 

He said … a similar foundational attitude change needs to happen for generations of youth raised on the Fast And Furious movies.

The local sheriff;’s captain told the parents … it;’s on them to track their kids in their cars.

Jennifer Seetoo. 

70272 SPEED APP SEETOO

“It really starts with the parents. However you feel about an app … when there is an app that you can actually let you know how fast your parents how fast your children are going.

“Parents please listen to me: get the app. Get the app. You need to know how fast your child is going.”

Seetoo also beseeched the parents … to please do not buy your kid a car that is capable of speed.

21 Miles in Malibu was shown to Malibu High kids this week.

We talked with three students who watched it a second time last night:

Eli Van Der Ryn:

70273 MHS KIDS VOX

“I’m going to get my license in about a year, probably.  And I think it’s a good wake up call for me to remember that driving in real life is not the same as what we see in highlight reels of people driving, or in movies. 

“Because it’s real life and mistakes happen and people get hurt.”

Remington Runyan:

“I just think it’s impactful for incoming drivers like all the freshmen in our grade. “We watched it in freshman seminar today. 

“I think it’s really important just for everyone to be really aware before they get on the roads because it’s like real stuff.

“It’s really your life that is on the line.”

And Malibu high school student Noah Van Der Ryn:

“Yeah this is my first year with a license and it’s really impactful for me to understand that, yeah, you can have fun for like 10 seconds but it’s not worth somebody’s lifetime of pain. 

“So you need to drive safe and it’s a simple choice. 

“Peer pressure is a big thing so you just have to stay true to being safe.”

Malibu High School students … last night … after watching the video about the bloody carnage on Pacific Coast Highway… “21 Miles in Malibu.”

 

Unusual Bacteria Counts At Malibu’s Beaches This Spring

Unusual results have come in from the ocean testing off the malibu coast.

Several beaches that usually get pristine grade A ratings have come in with bacteria that exceeds warning levels. 

Leo Carrillo Beach.

Latigo Beach.

Las Flores Beach … at La Costa.

The entire swim area at Castlerock Beach … below the Getty Villa.

All of them are on the unsafe for swimming list. 

The pattern of numerous small rainstorms and warm weather has created a lot of bacteria in the local washes… Bacteria that is flowing down into the ocean.

 

Increased Sales Tax Revenue Might Get Yanked Away If Prop-13-Style Initiative Passes This Fall

Financial watchdogs at the Malibu city council will delve into next year’s city budget at a special budget meeting this afternoon.

City manager Steve McClary has presented what he calls a prudent budget with expenses totaling just below the 60 million dollars in anticipated revenue. 

The City’s major revenue sources are Property Tax, Transient Occupancy Tax, and Sales and Use Tax. 

Property Taxes are budgeted at $19.5 million. . going up about 6 percent a year. … 

The hotel Transient Occupancy Tax is expected to bring in about $3.7 million . While taxes on short term rentals are expected to bring in almost 6 million dollars. … 

Sales tax revenues are expected to increase by nearly a third … up from 6 point 4 to $8.9 million.

The growth is due to the ½ cent sales tax increase approved by Malibu voters in

November 2022. 

But the city manager has a warning.

That Malibu sales tax boost will be rolled back this year … if statewide taxpayers revolt  initiative proposed for the November 2024 Ballot is passed by voters.

It would retroactively repeal any tax …. Even those approved by local voters … 

There city council’s subcommittee meeting on the the budget is this afternoon at 1.