I BEA
SEA
CALIFORNIA
December 13, 2021
CITY OF MANHATTAN BEACH The Honorable George Gascón
District Attorney of Los Angeles County
Hildy Stern 211 W. Temple Street, Suite 1200
Mayor
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Honorable District Attorney Gascón,
I am following up on some encouraging meetings we have had with several members of your staff and the County.
Our south bay cities have worked collaboratively in many ways to address homelessness. In August 202l, city managers and elected officials from the cities of Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, El Segundo and Manhattan Beach, the Justice Deputy from Supervisor Janice Hahn's Office, and special advisors from your Office met to discuss creating a regional homeless court.
This regional homeless court model, "The South Bay Housing Initiative Court (SBHIC)" is designed as a partnership between the South Bay Beach Cities and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office and proposes to serve as a diversion program similar to Redondo Beach's Homeless Court that you visited in October 202l. The proposed program would allow homeless individuals to obtain the services they need while intersecting with the criminal justice system. It gives people who are homeless opportunities to avoid criminal punishment in exchange for accepting judge mandated services that eventually can lead to housing.
Because this type of program fits so well with your policies on diversion programs which avoid criminally punishing individuals for low level misdemeanors, we understand you are also interested in pursuing this opportunity.
We have tried on several occasions to discuss your office's commitment to participate in the SBHIC. This matter has become time sensitive for us as the City of Manhattan Beach needs to make a decision about our options and assist our regional homeless population.
MANHATTAN BEACH CITY HALL
1400 Highland Avenue, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
www.citymb.info (310) 802-5400
At your earliest convenience, we would like to meet with you to discuss collaborating on our shared interests to address homelessness through this diversion program. Please contact the Assistant to the City Manager, George Gabriel at [email protected] arrange a meeting.
We look forward to working with you to create the South Bay Housing Initiative Court and find solutions to improve the lives of our vulnerable homeless population.
Sincerely,
windy Reck
Hildy Stern
Mayor
CC: Kyla Coates, Justice and Mental Health Deputy, LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn Tiffiny Blacknell, Special Advisor to George Gascon, Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office