*Dr. Rosie Milligan: My urgent appeal to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell to protect law-abiding citizens and seniors
I am writing this (open letter) as a law-abiding senior citizen, one month away from my 80th birthday, who has experienced firsthand how unsafe it has become to live in the City of Los Angeles — even when you follow the law and do everything the right way.
For years, I’ve heard people say they no longer call the police because help doesn’t come in time. Now I know firsthand. I have lived it. Today, I am using my voice to call for justice and accountability. Los Angeles citizens deserve better. We deserve safety, respect, and protection — not silence, delay, and fear.
A Senior Citizen Left Unprotected
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A few months ago, a 32-year-old homeless man named Andrew Black jumped my fence, entered my shed, and refused to leave. Despite his violent history — including a restraining order filed by his own father — he repeatedly trespassed, vandalized my property, and threatened my son and me.
Each time I called the police, it took between 45 minutes to over an hour for them to arrive. On one call, a dispatcher told me, “A restraining order is not a priority.”
How can a restraining order not be a priority when the person it’s meant to restrain is standing in my yard, threatening me? I am a law-abiding senior woman who has always respected the law. I went to court. I obtained a restraining order. I called the police every time the man returned. Yet, I was the one left unprotected — exposed, fearful, and unsafe in my own home.
A City Failing Its Citizens
My situation is not unique. It represents what so many Los Angeles residents are enduring in silence. Restraining orders are not being enforced quickly or effectively. Seniors and homeowners are being left vulnerable to repeat trespassers and mentally unstable individuals. People are losing faith that the police will arrive in time to prevent harm.
Too many citizens feel abandoned. The message we’re getting is that our safety is not a priority — and that is unacceptable in a city of this size, budget, and reputation.
Jim McDonnell, former L.A. County Sheriff, appointed next LAPD chief https://t.co/wRpFCfejdZ
— Anita Bennett (@tvanita) October 4, 2024
A Call to Action
I am calling on Mayor Karen Bass and LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell to take immediate action and implement reforms that will protect citizens, especially seniors, who are trying to live peacefully in their own homes:
- Make restraining-order violations a top-tier emergency response.
- Create a specialized Mental Health Emergency Response Team.
- Guarantee rapid police response for senior citizens.
- Rebuild trust with the public.
A Warning and a Wake-Up Call
If the City of Los Angeles continues to ignore this growing crisis, citizens will begin to take matters into their own hands — not because they want to, but because they feel they have no choice.
When people believe the system will not protect them, they will protect themselves. That is not the kind of city we should be living in. Los Angeles is becoming unsafe not only because of crime but because of inaction. If we do not have enough officers to respond promptly, then beef up recruitment and give the police more resources before more citizens die waiting for help that arrives either too late, or not at all.
Dr. Rosie Milligan is a community advocate, author, and Senior Estate Planner, widely known as the Self-Appointed Mayor of South-Central Los Angeles. For decades, she has dedicated her life to empowering residents — through education, seminars, and community advocacy — to build wealth, protect their families, and strengthen neighborhoods.
For Media Inquiries, Interviews, or Speaking Engagements:
Phone: 213-400-6521
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.drrosie.com
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