For a few years now, we have had a part-time or no-time LAPD Senior Lead Officer.

A map on the Van Nuys LAPD website shows that our district, just north of Victory, east of Sepulveda, is unprotected by a SLO. It seems that the area of Sherman Oaks, south of Ventura, where many household burglaries happen, is also without an SLO.

These SLOs are close to the community they serve. We had an excellent one for ten years, SLO Erika Kirk, who got promoted to detective .

Her departure coincided with the pandemic, and her replacement was often gone, and he then he left, to be replaced by another SLO who also left. Now the position is empty.

As a result, the typical things are happening in our neighborhood, including frequent nitrous oxide parties with tequila and beer. The revelers leave their trash on the street.

Perhaps on the scale of crime this is a petty thing to complain about.

Or maybe it’s not.