For the last two years, residents who live near the Palisades Recreation Center have complained about the lawlessness among young people that take place after hours.
The most recent was September 23, around 9 p.m. after fireworks were once again set off.
The resident emailed LAPD, members of the Pacific Palisades Park Advisory Board and Circling the News.
The resident received the following response from the police. “I am sorry you are having to deal with this issue. Please generate a radio call. I will also pass his information to the Watch Commander for awareness and see if they have an available unit to respond.”
The resident responded by email and told the police they had called 911.
“We sat on hold with 911. Sending a car over 30 minutes after these regular, predictable explosions does nothing, as we have already watched the kids finish their explosions and walk deeper into the park. The park is wide open, and there is no security or deterrent of any kind.
“Generating a call is the same answer we receive every time to the same issue, and the explosions continue—-same time, same place.”
CTN has reported on firework explosions, drag racing, illegal fires and reported drug usage, by teens, at that location at 851 Alma Real Drive, by the library and across from Corpus Christi School.
Residents have submitted license plate numbers of those drag racing to Los Angeles Police Department.
In April, CTN wrote, “Earlier this month, an explosive firework (described as a M80) was set off in Veterans Garden and destroyed a trash can.”
A June story noted: “Those residents who live on the rim of Palisades Recreation Center off Alma Real, Patterson Place and Frontera, have been subjected to illegal fireworks and drag racing on weekend nights for the past few months.
“Those activities are not harmless youthful activities, but dangerous and illegal.”
Later that month, CTN reported “the first set of fireworks explosions were set off at 7:15 p.m. Another round followed about an hour later and at 10:15 p.m., the sound of an explosion was captured on video. In the video, one kid is shouting, as if he was hurt.”
In a follow up story, CTN wrote “A middle-school boy was badly injured in a fireworks explosion that happened at the Palisades Recreation Center on June 16 around 10:15 p.m. People can tell he is hurt terribly, because his cries of anguish can be heard on the video.
The kid, who was injured, was at the Grossman Burn Center that specializes in comprehensive treatment of burns from acute care and reconstruction. CTN was told he will need surgery and that he may be scarred for life.
The “friends” who were with him when the explosion happened did not call 911. They did not call the kid’s parents for help, instead they ran off, leaving the kid to get home on his own.
CTN was told that neighbors are starting to take action in their own hands. “Last night my husband ran over to confront the teems as they were lighting the fireworks. They laughed as he was trying to get the video and strolled on their merry way, into the park.”
The ongoing problems at the park were discussed on a social media platform, with one person writing that “It’s not my kid,” is the common parental response. “There are HUNDREDS of kids that appear to be middle schoolers running rampant Friday and Saturday nights.
“Check it out for yourself – go to CVS at 9 p.m. next Friday. BTW, some are doing drugs, drinking, stealing [from CVS] and lighting off fireworks.”
The person concluded “This problem is very solvable with one or maybe two police officers spending Friday and Saturday between 6 p.m. to midnight walking/driving between CVS and the park.”
This car crashed near the corner of the Palisades Library and Corpus Christi School, after racing out of the park. Neighbors say kids drag race at that location.
The person concluded “This problem is very solvable with one or maybe two police officers spending Friday and Saturday between 6 p.m. to midnight walking/driving between CVS and the park.”
NO, I DO NOT AGREE! This problem is very solvable if parents take responsibility for their kids and know what they are doing on all nights, especially Friday and Saturday nights.
I agree with this comment. “This problem is very solvable with one or maybe two police officers spending Friday and Saturday between 6 p.m. to midnight walking/driving between CVS and the park.”
When was the car accident shown in the photo? Was it just one car? What age was the driver?
Jill,
I’m trying to get exact information. Initially, I was told it was in the summer and that it was a teen driver.
Sue
We can see in the videos how dark it is in the parking lot area at night. Other locations often install bright lights to deter these types of activities, so why doesn’t the Palisades Rec Center have brighter lights? Ironically, the neighbors who complain of the night activities would probably also complain about brighter lights in the parking lot. Besides brighter lights, security cameras are needed so the vehicles & faces can be identified.