Security issues draw overflow crowd

SECURITY TOWN HALL

Recent thefts, traffic safety are topics

by Ruth Osborn

rutho@lwsb.com

More than 400 Leisure World residents crammed into Clubhouse 4 on Feb. 15 for the first town hall presented by the GRF Security Department since pre-COVID days.

People were interested in finding out more about recent golf cart thefts, what to do about the propensity for unsafe driving here and, most of all, the new $400,000 vehicle gate access system that was recently approved by the GRF Board ( see story below).

Security Director Victor Rocha presented an informative PowerPoint and answered scores of questions from the rapt LW audience.

He was supported by GRF Executive Director Jessica Sedgwick and Information Technology Director Marcelo Mario, who fielded a host of technical and finance-related questions.

Rocha kicked off the meeting talking about thefts, mostly golf carts and bikes dating from October 2022, when perpetrators broke into LW through an easement gate behind Clubhouse 1 that must remain accessible to Orange County. Locks were breached, and golf carts were driven into the culvert.

Security immediately enlisted the Seal Beach Police Department (SBPD), which began undercover night operations, deployed a drone to surveil the area, beefed up gate locks and set out bait bikes to entice thieves.

A suspect apprehended in Downey has been charged in connection with a LW golf cart theft, according to Seal Beach Detective John Ainley, who was at the town hall to answer questions and lend support.

Golf cart theft aside, most criminal activity in LW can be traced to residents, people with visitor’s passes and residents’ guests, according to Rocha, who emphasized that the LW crime rate is minuscule compared to surrounding areas.

As for traffic safety, it remains a volatile issue. With an estimated 9,500 older residents, driving can take on life and death proportions at times.

Security is investigating 10-12 traffic accidents every month, with 40% categorized as hit and runs. Some of those involve property damage only, but on Jan. 17, a LW resident was fatally injured in a hit and run. Most hit-and-run accidents investigated by SBPD are caused by residents, according to police reports.

GRF has worked to make LW streets safer for all, including installing extra stop signs, speedbumps and cushions, and safety articles in the LW Weekly. But it’s not enough, acknowledged Rocha, who said the only path to change is to face the reality that there are likely hundreds of residents who should no longer be driving.

“There is not a person in here who can’t share a near-death experience that they have had driving or walking in Leisure World,” he said.

He cited statistics from AAA and Kaiser Permanente that show:

•When seniors give up driving, the majority actually lost the ability to safely operate a car 7-10 years earlier.

•About 40% of seniors take medications that can hinder driving ability.

• The Security Decal Office rejects three-five LWers a day who do not have valid driver’s licenses. These residents then get in their vehicles and drive home.

A multi-department effort is underway to find new strategies to deter unsafe driving, Rocha said.

In other topics:

• Security employs 45 GRF Security guards, 35 are full-time GRF employees and 15 are thirdparty vendors.

• During COVID, Security lost 70 percent of its staff.

• The goal is to have all guards working full-time for the GRF as soon as possible. Staffing remains challenging, even post-COVID.

•The Main Gate receives 300500 visitors a day; that’s 2,0003,500 visitors a week. There is more traffic on weekends, with Mother’s Day being the busiest visitor-entry day of the year with 1,200 entries.

After the presentation, dozens of LWers asked questions, all of which were answered.

Topics ranged from gate runners, visitor pass misuse, speed cushion installation, which is planned for Del Monte Drive, El Dorado Drive, Golden Rain Road, St. Andrews Drive and Thunderbird Drive as soon as they arrive; parking, RFIDs, speed limit signs, SBPD enforcement in LW, guest access at all gates, delivery drivers impeding traffic and more.

“We have robust security in LW,” Rocha assured the crowd. “Security is pinging from one call to the next. We work closely with SBPD to make LW as safe as possible. We know there are issues, but I invite anyone to find a residental area with 10,000 people that has a lower crime rate than Leisure World.”

People can view the town hall at lwsb.com under Meeting Livestream.

Security Director Victor Rocha, Executive Director Jessica Sedgwick and IT Director Marcelo Mario were at the town hall to answer every question LWers asked.

A congenial crowd enjoyed complimentary coffee as they awaited the start of the town hall Feb. 15. The event coveredeverything from a new gate access system to traffic safety in LW.