Supervisor Hahn Releases Statement on Hate Crime against San Pedro residenthttps://hahn.lacounty.gov/wp-content/themes/blade/images/empty/thumbnail.jpg150150Hayley MunguiaHayley Munguiahttps://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/630b38108b5fe959ca74b3e2916d05a0?s=96&d=mm&r=g
San Pedro, CA – Today, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn released the following statement regarding a recent incident in San Pedro in which a Black family’s car was vandalized with a swastikas and a racial slur.
“Few of us can imagine the fear and anger that Mr. Scott and his family are feeling after this most recent attack. Both as Supervisor and as a resident of this community, I am outraged and saddened that one of our neighbors could be targeted in such a vile way. My thoughts are with the Scott family.
In San Pedro and in all of LA County, everyone belongs and everyone deserves to live in peace. I understand the LAPD Harbor Division is working hard to identify the perpetrator of this hate crime so that they can be held accountable.”
Details about the hate crime were first posted by the victim, Reginald Scott, on a Go Fund Me page.
Hahn Calls on Retailers to Protect Consumers from Gift Card Draining Scamhttps://hahn.lacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/giftcard.jpg560400Hayley MunguiaHayley Munguiahttps://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/630b38108b5fe959ca74b3e2916d05a0?s=96&d=mm&r=g
San Pedro, CA – This morning, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn held a press conference calling on retailers to better protect consumers from a growing gift card scam problem amid holiday shopping. Just last week, Supervisor Hahn bought a Vanilla gift card at a CVS for her nephew’s birthday that was drained before he could use it.
“I am fortunate,” said Supervisor Hahn. “What I lost on this gift card I was easily able to repay in cash to my nephew. But I am worried about the people who are barely scraping by who can’t afford to be ripped off.”
The scam, known as “gift card draining,” works two ways. In the first instance, scammers attach a barcode from a card they already have to an unsold gift card in a store. When someone buys the tampered card and loads money onto it, they are loading money onto the scammer’s card. In the second instance, a scammer would steal the details off a legitimate gift card and then place it back on a store rack. That scammer can then track when the card is bought and loaded and then quickly drain the money.
“I am calling on retailers like CVS, Target, Walgreens and others, to take immediate steps to protect their own shoppers from these scams,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “It should not be up to consumers to defend themselves from scams when you have the power to prevent them all together.”
She is calling on retailers to place gift cards behind glass or behind a service desk while scams continue, better train check out clerks to recognize fake barcodes placed on cards, or add warning signage on gift card displays.
Today, Supervisor Hahn sent a letter to CVS Health CEO Karen S. Lynch about the issue. Read letter here or the text below:
December 21, 2023 Karen S. Lynch, President & CEO CVS Health 1 CVS Drive Woonsocket, Rhode Island 02895
Dear President Lynch,
Last week, I visited one of your stores here in Los Angeles County and picked up a Vanilla Visa gift card for my nephew’s birthday. I took it up to the register and asked to load it with $100. But when my nephew went to use the gift card, all the money had already been spent.
I got ripped off, but I found out I was just one of many victims of a growing gift card scam.
I am fortunate that I was able to repay my nephew in cash. But I am worried about your customers who are barely scraping by who can’t afford to be ripped off.
The scam is called gift card draining, and the manager I spoke to in your store said he was well aware of it. Yet the store hadn’t taken steps to prevent it.
In many of your stores you put everyday essentials behind glass or behind a counter, like deodorant or toothpaste. When those items are stolen, it hurts your bottom line. But when gift cards are used to scam shoppers, it hurts our bottom line. Yet you offer no protection for us.
CVS, and other retailers, have a responsibility to your customers to protect them from these scams, and if you wanted to, you could take action tomorrow. I am asking you to place gift cards behind glass or behind a customer service desk while scams continue. If not that, you must better train your checkout clerks to recognize fake barcodes placed on cards and add warning signage on gift card displays.
You have the power to help save Christmas for thousands upon thousands of your customers nationwide. Please, do the right thing.
Sincerely, JANICE HAHN Los Angeles County Supervisor
Whittier, CA – Today, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn appointed Whittier resident Abigail Marquez to the Los Angeles County Children and Family First Commission which oversees funding for First 5 LA.
“This commission’s work gets at the heart of our most important work in Los Angeles County supporting local families so they have the resources they need to raise strong, healthy, engaged kids,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “Abigail has dedicated her career to disrupting the cycle of poverty that so many of our residents are caught in and she will be an asset for this important commission.”
Abigail Marquez has worked for close to twenty years for the City of Los Angeles advancing anti-poverty programs and policies. She currently serves as General Manager of the Community Investment for Families Department. She has played an active role in implementing homelessness prevention programs, leading the implementation of L.A.’s Guaranteed Basic Income pilot program as well as the children’s savings account program, Opportunity LA.
“I want to thank Supervisor Hahn for this appointment and for the opportunity to align both my professional and personal commitment to the vision, mission, and values of First 5 LA,” said Abigail Marquez. “I look forward to working with the County Board of Supervisors, the team at First 5 LA, and a diverse set of stakeholders to advance programs and policies aimed at disrupting the cycle of generational poverty through greater investments in early childhood systems.”
Abigail resides in the city of Whittier with her husband and two daughters.
Supervisor Hahn Votes Against Two Year Delay of Conservatorship Modernization Lawhttps://hahn.lacounty.gov/wp-content/themes/blade/images/empty/thumbnail.jpg150150Hayley MunguiaHayley Munguiahttps://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/630b38108b5fe959ca74b3e2916d05a0?s=96&d=mm&r=g
Los Angeles, CA — Today, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn was the lone “No” vote on a motion that will delay the implementation of recently passed Senate Bill 43 in Los Angeles County two years until 2026. SB 43 is touted as a modernization of the state’s conservatorship laws which have not been updated in fifty years.
In voting no, Hahn issued the following statement:
“I just voted no on the two-year delay of the implementation of SB 43 which would improve conservatorship law so we can care for more people with severe addiction and mental health issues.
The status quo is unacceptable. We have a drug addiction and mental health crisis on our streets. There are people who need help and treatment and won’t survive two more years. I want to see a sense of urgency from our County departments. I think we can get this done sooner and I want to see us try.”
Hahn Appoints Latina LGBTQ+ Leader from Long Beach to Inaugural County LGBTQ+ Commissionhttps://hahn.lacounty.gov/wp-content/themes/blade/images/empty/thumbnail.jpg150150Esteban GarciaEsteban Garciahttps://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f75a0a635aeccb2b3e4a965e8c31e362?s=96&d=mm&r=g
Los Angeles, CA — Today, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn appointed Latina LGBTQ+ community leader Ellie Perez to the first-ever Los Angeles County LGBTQ+ Commission. The Commission was created in June with a motion authored by Supervisor Hilda L. Solis that Hahn coauthored. The 15-member Commission will advise the Board of Supervisors on issues facing LGBTQ+ residents in Los Angeles County.
Perez is an experienced management professional, educator and LGBTQ+ advocate. She currently serves as Interim Executive Director of The LGBTQ Center Long Beach.
“Ellie’s commitment and leadership within the LGBTQ+ community are informed by her own experiences, and that driving passion is evident throughout her career. What she is going to bring to the Commission as a lesbian woman and mother of a trans child is extremely unique and valuable. I’m grateful that she has accepted this invitation,” said Hahn.
Perez has a long history of volunteering and advocating for others. In May of 2020, she and her wife Angela founded the Safe Spaces Alliance, a Long Beach City initiative dedicated to curating and promoting LGBTQ+ safe spaces and LGBTQ+ and ally-owned businesses.
“I am humbled and honored to be appointed to Supervisor Janice Hahn’s LGBTQ+ Commision. Having a seat at the table will allow me to collaborate with others who seek to move our LGBTQ+ community closer to equity and equality,” said Perez.
The LGBTQ+ Commission will provide recommendations on policies and budget priorities at a time when LGBTQ+ people face mounting challenges. According to the LA County Commission on Human Relations’ 2021 Hate Crime Report, 89% of the hate crimes towards gay men were of a violent nature and 93% of anti-transgender crimes were violent – a rate of violence higher than any other marginalized group recorded by the report. Nationwide, hundreds of anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced at the state and local levels.
Hahn’s other appointment to the LGBTQ+ Commission is Huntington Park city councilmember and Latino Equality Alliance executive director Eddie Martinez.
Eddie Martinez is a Huntington Park city councilmember and Executive Director of Latino Equality Alliance
Los Angeles, CA — Today, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn appointed Latino LGBTQ+ community leader and Huntington Park councilmember Eddie Martinez to the first-ever Los Angeles County LGBTQ+ Commission. The Commission was created in June with a motion authored by Supervisor Hilda L. Solis that Hahn coauthored. The 15-member Commission will advise the Board of Supervisors on issues facing LGBTQ+ residents in Los Angeles County.
Eddie Martinez (he/him) is the executive director of the Latino Equality Alliance, which he co-founded and previously served on the board of before taking on the role of its first executive director in 2016. He is also a former mayor of the City of Huntington Park.
“When we created this Commission I wanted to make sure that LGBTQ+ people from Southeast LA had a seat at the table, and Eddie is a well-known and respected voice in these communities,” said Hahn. “From bringing a new LGBTQ+ youth space in Bell to spending his own time organizing community cleanups with his staff from Latino Equality Alliance, he is a committed public servant and this Commission will be so enriched by his contribution.”
Martinez has more than 20 years of non-profit management and civic engagement experience including 18 years of tenure with the HIV/AIDS organization The Wall Las Memorias Project. He studied business marketing at Long Beach State University.
“It is an honor to serve on the Commission to represent Supervisor Janice Hahn and the LGBTQ community of District 4. The commission will be an important tool that will shape policies and provide recommendations that will support the well-being and safety of the LGBTQ+ community, especially in BIPOC and immigrant communities,” said Martinez.
The LGBTQ+ Commission will provide recommendations on policies and budget priorities at a time when LGBTQ+ people face mounting challenges. According to the LA County Commission on Human Relations’ 2021 Hate Crime Report, 89% of the hate crimes towards gay men were of a violent nature and 93% of anti-transgender crimes were violent – a rate of violence higher than any other marginalized group recorded by the report. Nationwide, hundreds of anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced at the state and local levels.
Hahn’s other appointment to the LGBTQ+ Commision is Interim Executive Director of The LGBTQ Center Long Beach, Ellie Perez.
LA County Moves Forward with Southeast LA Cultural Centerhttps://hahn.lacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/pressrelease.jpg560373Hayley MunguiaHayley Munguiahttps://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/630b38108b5fe959ca74b3e2916d05a0?s=96&d=mm&r=g
Hahn speaks during Board meeting with rendering of SELA Cultural Center by Frank Gehry on screen.
Los Angeles, CA – This morning, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion authored by Supervisor Janice Hahn and co-authored by Supervisor Hilda L. Solis to create a plan for the County’s development and operations of the proposed Southeast Los Angeles (SELA) Cultural Center on County property along the Los Angeles River in the City of South Gate. Supervisor Hahn is championing the importance of the project in addressing long-standing inequities in arts access in Southeast Los Angeles.
“Southeast LA is bursting with art and with talent, but what it has been denied for too long are the space and investments to celebrate it,” said Hahn, who represents Southeast Los Angeles. “This community deserves the same access to arts and cultural institutions that the Westside and Downtown LA have had for decades. The Southeast LA Cultural Center has been a dream of artists here in SELA for years, and I am proud that we can take this huge step toward making this dream a reality with the full force of the County behind it and the unanimous support of our board.”
Rendering by Gehry Partners
The project has already received $124 million in state funds secured by Speaker Emeritus Anthony Rendon and State Senator Lena Gonzalez. Los Angeles County departments will now take on the role of planning the construction of the Frank Gehry-designed project, transforming what is now a Los Angeles County Public Works yard into this world-class cultural center.
“SELA is home to so many gifted artists and creatives,” said Supervisor Solis who co-authored the motion. “For years, many in the region have had to rely on cafes and small eateries to gather and showcase their art. However, today’s action is another step towards changing that. By investing in SELA through the development of a Cultural Center, we can continue to support the cultural lives and community resilience of a region that has experienced decades of systemic inequality, and help our residents thrive. With a Cultural Center right in SELA, essentially in residents’ backyard, locals will be able to benefit from the healing that the arts provide.”
During the meeting, Southeast LA elected leaders, local artists, and community partners gave public comment in support of the project. Among the speakers was California State Assembly Speaker Emeritus Anthony Rendon, who has been the champion of this project.
“Today’s vote by the Board of Supervisors is a huge step towards the creation of the SELA Cultural Center. This project will not only provide artistic resources, job opportunities, and an economic boost to Southeast LA. It will also be a world-class cultural destination for the entire county, and the world beyond. I want to thank Supervisors Janice Hahn and Hilda Solis for bringing this motion forward today. In particular, I want to thank Supervisor Hahn for her leadership on this project, and for her strong commitment to bringing this important resource to the people of Southeast LA,” said Speaker Emeritus Anthony Rendon.
Earlier this month, Rendon and State Senator Lena Gonzalez presented Hahn with checks for a total of $8 million in state funds that will be given as grants to local artists and support the work of an advisory panel made up of local artists and residents that will guide the Center’s creation.
Update: RVs on Santa Fe Ave in Walnut Parkhttps://hahn.lacounty.gov/wp-content/themes/blade/images/empty/thumbnail.jpg150150Hayley MunguiaHayley Munguiahttps://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/630b38108b5fe959ca74b3e2916d05a0?s=96&d=mm&r=g
This morning, we brought LA County’s Pathway Home initiative to Walnut Park. My staff was on the ground as County teams arrived and offered services and safe housing to every resident of the RV encampment on Santa Fe Ave between Broadway and Independence Ave, just north of South Gate.
I heard the concerns many of you expressed in person, on the phone, and through our official Walnut Park Instagram account about this RV encampment. No one is safer or better off when people are living in dilapidated RVs. It’s not good for our kids who need safe sidewalks to get to and from school, it’s not safe for drivers or cyclists, and it’s not safe for the people living inside them. No person should be forced to live in a motorhome on the street.
They deserve safe housing, and you deserve safe streets.
The RVs have been removed, and the residents were offered hotel rooms and every service and support that the County family has to offer. Those who accepted moved into those rooms right away. The cleanup of the street is ongoing.
I’ll be sharing more details about this RV encampment resolution in the next few days. Stay tuned to this and other important information on Instagram and, if you haven’t already signed up, through my weekly Janice Journal.
Hahn Will Bring Successful Gun Buyback Model to Pico Riverahttps://hahn.lacounty.gov/wp-content/themes/blade/images/empty/thumbnail.jpg150150Hayley MunguiaHayley Munguiahttps://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/630b38108b5fe959ca74b3e2916d05a0?s=96&d=mm&r=g
Event is ninth in a string of buybacks collecting nearly 1,300 guns
Pico Rivera, CA—On Saturday, December 16, 2023, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn will hold a gun buyback event at the Pico Rivera City Hall in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The event will welcome residents from 9am to 1pm and offers an opportunity to exchange any gun for gift cards, no questions asked. Media is invited to a 10am press conference on site. See details below.
“Time and time again at these events we hear from residents that they didn’t know what else to do with these guns. What they did know is that they wanted to get them out of their homes and away from their families. This is the perfect opportunity, and with gift season just days away, you can drive away with hundreds of dollars in gift cards, no questions asked,” said Hahn. “This is an opportunity that hundreds of people have already taken us up on, choosing safer homes and neighborhoods and some extra spending money on top of it.”
Saturday’s buyback will be Hahn’s ninth. Between the previous eight held in Lynwood, North Long Beach, Norwalk, Wilmington, Long Beach, Hawaiian Gardens, Artesia, and Bellflower beginning in May 2022, Hahn’s initiative has taken in and destroyed 1,292 unwanted firearms.
In Pico Rivera Hahn will be joined by the city’s mayor and councilmembers as well as LA County Sheriff’s Department South Patrol Division Commander Allen M. Castellano. Sarah Wirtz, an advocate from Women Against Gun Violence who lost a niece in the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting, will also be present. Women Against Gun Violence have donated 50 gun locks that will be given away on Saturday. The simple devices help prevent accidental discharge or use of the gun by someone other than the owner, such as a child.
There are important guidelines to participating in the buyback that ensure the safety of the public and deputies. Participants should not arrive on foot or transit, and should transport firearms unloaded and in the trunk of a vehicle.
Participants will receive gift cards in amounts according to the type of gun exchanged.
• Non-functioning firearms or parts: $50
• Working pistols, rifles shotguns: $100
• Ghost guns: $200
• Assault rifles: $300
3D and homemade guns will be evaluated for value on the day of the event. Gift card quantities are limited and subject to availability.
What: Gun Buyback and Press Conference Who: Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, Pico Rivera Mayor Andrew Lara, Pico Rivera City Councilmember John Garcia, Pico Rivera City Councilmember Gustavo Camacho, Pico Rivera City Councilmember Erik Lutz, Pico Rivera City Councilmember Dr. Monica Sanchez, Sarah Wirtz (advocate from Women Against Gun Violence), LA County Sheriff’s Department South Patrol Division Commander Allen M. Castellano Where: Pico Rivera City Hall, 6615 Passons Blvd., Pico Rivera, CA When: Saturday, December 16, 2023; Gun Buyback operates from 9am to 1pm, Press Conference begins at 10am Visuals: Surrendered firearms being processed, Hahn and councilmembers touring buyback
Download full-page flyer here. Footage of Hahn’s Long Beach buyback event can be found here. Credit: LA36
Hahn Office Funds $1.2 Million Upgrade to Artesia’s AJ Padelford Parkhttps://hahn.lacounty.gov/wp-content/themes/blade/images/empty/thumbnail.jpg150150Hayley MunguiaHayley Munguiahttps://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/630b38108b5fe959ca74b3e2916d05a0?s=96&d=mm&r=g
This week, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn attended the meeting of the Artesia City Council and formally announced that her office would provide $1.2 million to the city for needed upgrades to AJ Padelford Park.
“This $1.2 million will fund upgrades to AJ Padelford Park’s main building, replace the old computers for the youth program, refurbish the roof of the teen center, fund the construction of new outdoor restrooms, and pay for the installation of more lighting in the park to improve safety for residents walking through the park in the evening,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “Our parks, no matter how small, are some of the most important assets in our neighborhoods. I know that this project was a priority for the City of Artesia, and I am so grateful that we can help make it happen.”
The upgrades are vitally needed at the park. The main building roof has multiple leaks which have caused damage to the building, the park currently has no public restrooms, and the computers in the teen center are over 15 years old.
“I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to Supervisor Hahn and her dedicated staff for their unwavering advocacy on behalf of the City Council, City Staff, and the residents of the City of Artesia,” said Councilmember Monica Monalo. “Their successful efforts in securing these funds will greatly improve our City parks and enhance the quality of life for our residents and those visiting our wonderful parks.”
AJ Padelford Park is a 1.9-acre park located at 11870 169th St. in Artesia. The $1.2 million in funding from Supervisor Hahn’s office comes from discretionary Community Program funds.
