WEST HOLLYWOOD—The city of West Hollywood is moving forward in expanding its safety precautions in the Rainbow District amidst an increase in fights and violence. New safety measures include additional sheriffs, unarmed private security personnel, and city code enforcement officers specifically patrolling the Rainbow District.
The Rainbow District is a one-mile-long stretch off Santa Monica Boulevard, from Doheny Drive to La Cienega Boulevard; the district is filled with popular bars and restaurants for residents and tourists.
The new safety officers patrolling the Rainbow District will be teaming up with the existing Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Entertainment Policing Unit that specializes in policing alcohol related issues in the district. West Hollywood is contracting unarmed “entertainment safety officers” that will take steps to de-escalate violent situations; there is no specification of the exact protocol for de-escalation at this time.
The new safety measures updates were discussed during a Chamber of Commerce First Friday meeting in which Community Safety Director Danny Rivas explained how there are still violent incidents happening in the district regardless of the declining statistics.
The Community Safety Department advances a community-oriented policing approach, coordinates targeted crime prevention and neighborhood livability initiatives, oversees emergency management and disaster preparedness, and collaborates with law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services to plan and coordinate public safety operations for major special events using a unified command structure.
“I don’t care what that data says about the crime going down every single weekend,” Block said. “We are having bloody situations on Santa Monica Boulevard,” Rivas said.
As for hiring those additional patrolling officers, the city is looking for candidates with a high level of experience, preferring those with prior law enforcement or military backgrounds. At the meeting, Rivas also mentioned that these officers will be wearing a different uniform so they can be easily distinguished from the existing safety enforcement.
“The city already has a strong community safety foundation,” Rivas said in the meeting. “The latest enhancements build on these existing resources by adding unarmed private security personnel, city code enforcement officers and supplemental LASD support to provide an even more visible and coordinated public safety presence.”
Since June, expanding public safety measures in the Rainbow District have been a topic for city officials. Due to violent incidents such as fist fights on public sidewalks that have transpired in recent months, city officials have planned to complete these new safety developments by October 31, 2026.
