The City of West Hollywood is a great place to bring family and friends who are visiting and to do holiday shopping and celebrating. The holidays are also a time, however, when opportunists may look for easy targets. West Hollywood is as susceptible to crimes as cities throughout the region. Taking basic preventive steps to follow common-sense tips can help enhance safety and reduce crime.

The City has assembled Holiday Safety Alertness and Crime Prevention tips in cooperation with the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station, as well as other local safety organizations, such as the City’s Block by Block Security Ambassadors program. The City is sharing important holiday safety tips in digital transit shelter ads in West Hollywood and the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station will conduct Holiday Community Safety Patrol operations.

The following are 10 tips can help prevent crimes of opportunity:

1. Lock your car and hide your valuables in the trunk – keep recent purchases out of sight.
2. Stay alert to your surroundings – park in a safe, well-lit place, don't overburden yourself with packages and be cognizant of who’s around you.
3. Watch your packages – get a camera if they’re delivered to your home, or consider getting a locker/P.O. box for deliveries instead.
4. Light up your house – add motion-sensor lights as an added security measure.
5. Hang onto your purse or backpack – don’t leave it on the back of a chair while dining or in a shopping cart.
6. Keep your wallet and cell phone in your front pocket to avoid being pickpocketed.
7. Watch your drinks when out at a bar and be mindful of leaving with people you don’t know. Don’t over-imbibe, whether it’s alcohol or legal cannabis, as consuming even small amounts may leave you vulnerable.
8. Secure your luggage – if you’re visiting from out of town, don’t leave luggage unattended or where it can be seen.
9. Avoid carrying large amounts of cash – pay with a check or credit card whenever possible.
10. Don’t walk around with your head in your phone – look up and know what’s going on around you.

As always, the City and its public safety partners urge community members not to drink (or use) and drive. Even one drink can impair judgment and increase the risk of getting arrested for driving drunk — or worse, the risk of having a crash while driving. If you will be drinking, do not plan on driving. Plan ahead and designate a sober driver who hasn’t had any alcohol. The City regularly conducts drink safety training, as well, for alcohol-serving bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department regularly conducts DUI checkpoints in the City.

For anyone with public safety concerns, please reach out to the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station 24/7 at (310) 855-8850.

The City has launched an easy-to-remember toll-free phone number for its Block by Block Security Ambassadors Program, as well: (833) WEHO-BBB or (833) 934-6222. The hotline manages incoming non-emergency and non-violent calls for service 24/7.

For concerns about the safety and well-being of community members experiencing homelessness, please call the City’s Homeless Concern Line at (323) 848-6590.

In an emergency, always call 911.