This week my office made three important announcements about how we’re taking action to improve public safety and the quality of life in our neighborhoods.

Note: Closure of medical marijuana shops in the Venice area has been noticeable as a result of Mike Feuer’s office and Claudia Martin, Venice’s neighborhood prosecutor, in particular.

Keeping Faith With The Voters-Enforcing Prop D-Medical Marijuana Restrictions
 The same day I was elected City Attorney in 2013, the voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition D to regulate L.A.’s medical marijuana dispensaries. I believe the voters sought to strike a balance with which I agree: on the one hand, making access to medical marijuana available for those who truly need it to alleviate their suffering; on the other, diminishing the number of dispensaries that then existed, eliminating those, for example that are too close to sensitive sites such as schools, parks and houses of worship.



I am proud that this week we announced a significant milestone in our effort to uphold the will of the voters: More than 500 unlawful medical marijuana shops in Los Angeles have closed since I took office. This outcome is the result of a close-knit partnership including our office, the LAPD, neighborhood councils and other community organizations.

Of course, we still have more to do. If you know of an unlawful medical marijuana business in your neighborhood let us know by e-mailing us at: atty.medicalmarijuana@lacity.org.



Keeping Tobacco Away From Kids 
A key to protecting our children and keeping neighborhoods safe is keeping cigarettes out of the hands of minors, who purchase an astonishing 45 million packs a year in California. This week we launched the City Attorney’s Responsible Retailer Initiative–in collaboration with parents, public health officials and retailers including Ralphs’ and Food4Less–to raise awareness and provide education about preventing tobacco sales to youth. We’ll couple this outreach with aggressive enforcement if sales to kids persist.



This Initiative is made possible through a unique $175,000 grant to the County Department of Public Health from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It goes hand-in-hand with our Neighborhood School Safety Program, which collaborates with key stakeholders to enhance the health and safety of our youth.



Tackling The Often Lethal Combination Of Gangs, Guns And Drugs
 My office is making a sustained effort to target problem properties across Los Angeles that are the sources of crime and violence. Yesterday I announced that my office filed a narcotics abatement lawsuit against the owners and operators of an alleged gang controlled apartment complex across the street from Locke High School. The property is known as a haven for illegal drugs and guns. My office also filed suit against the owners of a nearby gang-controlled single family home.



These actions are the latest in our effort to clean up properties that are magnets for crime, including four recent abatement lawsuits filed against properties in Hollywood, South Los Angeles, Venice and Del Rey. Properties that draw gangs, drugs and guns create a potentially lethal combination and corrode our neighborhoods–especially when they are located across the street from a school. No family should have to put up with these conditions, and my office will continue to do everything we can to transform properties like these.