Ryan Carter
Based on complaints from local merchants and residents, Burbank
Police are cracking down on increasing crime in areas around Burbank
Village.
In the past week in the Village area -- from the Media City Center
on the north to Gordon Biersch Brewing on the south -- police have
cited and arrested about 50 people.
Half of them were citations for possessing open containers of
alcohol. Thirteen of them were for urinating in public, with the
remainder mostly being for fighting, police said.
Many of the incidents happened in the parking lot directly behind
City Hall, the Orange Grove Avenue lot across from the Police/Fire
Headquarters and another at a lot behind Sensation Village on Olive
Avenue.
The problems threaten to become a drain on department resources,
along with being public-safety threat and a nuisance, Police Sgt.
John Dilibert said.
"We've had increased calls for service in the last month,"
Dilibert said. "It's becoming a concern."
Complaints involve alleged illegal parking, fights, public
intoxication, and as recently as last weekend, reports of gunshots.
Police acted on the complaints Friday through Sunday, surrounding
the Village with extra patrols and surveillance.
In one instance, a 21-year-old man walked outside of Sensation
Village, a nightclub at 237 E. Olive Ave., and was punched in the
face by another man who threatened to go back to his car "to get my
heat," Dilibert said. Police showed up shortly afterward.
Authorities are concerned some who frequent the Village area's
late-night club scene are causing problems.
In August, three Glendale men and a Van Nuys man were arrested
after allegedly being involved in an early morning stabbing near
Gitana Restaurant that left two men injured.
The city attorney's office, local merchants, club owners, police
and licensing and code officials will be discussing the problems.
For now, patrols will be beefed up on the weekends, police said.
