Hermosa Oil Recovery Project

Yes to Measure O, says the Hermosa Beach Police Department

I’ve wondered how to approach the subject of the Hermosa Oil Recovery Project (Measure O, March 3, 2015) in this blog. Perhaps the Hermosa Beach Police Department POA’s endorsement of the project is a place to start.

I have long advocated for a community oriented policing approach in Hermosa, including officers on foot and bike to patrol the Pier and the Strand. Hermosa is more Mayberry than Gotham and I’d like to see our officers approach their jobs with less Batman and more Andy Griffith.

As a journalist and researcher, I covered and worked with the USDOJ COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services) program for a time and was struck by the positive impact approachable policing could have on a community. While I have heard that […]

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Etymology of a Hate Mailer

Well, it’s been five days and the mailers keep trickling through the mail.  You may be wondering who I think was behind the attack.  If so, this will be the perfect read for you.

I read a lot of crime fiction. One trope of the private eye novel is that the detective always says, “I don’t believe in coincidences.”  I’m not sure I’d go so far as saying I don’t believe in coincidences but I am wary of them. Here are a few I’ve found.

On December 11, I sent the Hermosa Beach City Council a cease-and-desist letter, as required by state law, regarding what I believed was a violation of the Brown Act by Council Member Nanette Barragan.  The Brown Act is an […]

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Is Hyperbole a Crime?

As many of you pointed out, I had a rather unwelcome Christmas present plopped into my mailbox this past week. Of course it was photo-shopped, creating a disturbing little advertisement that is out of context and out of time. It surprised me as much as it seemed to surprise most of you.  What is even more surprising is the likely identity of the person who spent thousands of dollars to send it.

First: The ad says I am an “E&B Representative.”  I am not an E&B representative. That is not true.  I would not be ashamed to say so if I were. The people at E&B have shown themselves to be as kind, thoughtful and sensitive a group of people as […]

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