More Sheriff's Deputies on Bike Patrol Starting This Weekend

West Hollywood Sheriff’s deputies are responding to growing concerns of criminal activity outside the city's west-end nigtclubs with increased overnight bike patrols beginning this weekend.

The station is adding four deputies on bike patrol Friday and Saturday between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m., according to Sgt. Jimmy Farrell.

“Here in West Hollywood, we’re a community, we’re in a partnership,” the official told Patch. “If residents want to see more bike patrols, then we’re going to have more bike patrols.”

Between Oct. 18-22, WeHo Confidential reported three gay men were violently attacked in the city's Boystown area during the early morning hours: a Motherlode clubgoer near Santa Monica and Robertson boulevards, a resident at Fountain and Laurel avenues, and a Micky's employee on Fairfax Avenue between Fountain and Sunset Boulevard.

While many are calling the string of muggings "gay bashings," West Hollywood Sheriff's officials say they are unrelated incidents.

“We took the reports as a hate crime, but the victims didn’t really give details indicating they were hate crimes,” Lt. Larry Del Mese reported to Patch. “We haven’t found a connection between any of the reported incidents.”

An investigation is still under way. “It may have been an attempted robbery. It may be been a fight,” said Del Mese. “One of the problems with classifying these crimes is trying to determine the cause of it.”

In the meantime, the added patrols will be primarily centered in the Boystown area, with its heavy concentration of nightlife venues, but Farrell said officers on bikes will cover the entire length of Santa Monica Boulevard.

“They’ll see us on the east side of town, as well as the west side,” said Farrell, explaining that a supervisor will determine where to deploy the bike patrols throughout the evening.

Initially out on Friday and Saturday nights, extra bike patrols may be added to other nights as needed. “If there is demand for bike patrols on a Sunday night, we’ll have them on a Sunday night,” said Farrell.

Captain Kelly Fraser, head of the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station, believes the bike patrols will be able to respond quicker to emergency situations, especially in some of the residential areas.

“Sometimes patrol cars can be delayed due to traffic,” Fraser told Patch. “Bikes can maneuver through traffic much faster.”

Weather may also become a factor. “We’ll just have to make adjustments as needed,” Fraser said. “On rainy nights, we may have more patrol cars out instead, but people will still notice an increased presence.”

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