As her third term as mayor of Beverly Hills comes to an end, Lili Bosse has no regrets about the long days, late nights and early mornings she put into the job.
“I really felt that what I had promised at my installation as mayor was sacred and it really was my word, which is why I gave and continue to give every ounce of my being to this term,” Bosse told the Courier in an interview during her final week in office.
Bosse has indeed stayed true to her word. The sweeping promises she made at the start of her term in April 2022–for improved public safety, business recovery and more mental health support–have all come to fruition over the last year as have several other projects Bosse picked up along the way.
The priorities that she laid out for her term came in direct response to the challenges the community faced during the pandemic.
“There were protests, there was a health crisis, there was increasing crime and then for me to become mayor when we finally were able to be back together again. I felt like it was really important to address everything that we had experienced in the last two years,” said Bosse.
As mayor, Bosse did not waste a single moment before getting to work. In fact, she began planning her mayoral goals and talking with department heads several months in advance of her installation.
This is what enabled her to announce the launch of the Beverly Hills Police Department’s Real-Time Watch Center and the BHPD text message alert system on the night she was sworn in.
The center allows the department to keep an around-the-clock eye on all corners of the city by centralizing surveillance from the city’s 2,000 CCTV cameras, automatic license plate readers and drone fleet. The BHPD alert system provides residents with accurate information about ongoing public safety incidents.
Both have been a boon to public safety.
Police Chief Mark Stainbrook announced that the city experienced a 34% decrease in crime within the center’s first four months of operation. And the alert system has helped fight misinformation and alleviate stress within a community still processing the trauma of destructive riots and a spike in smash-and-grab robberies.
“I think there’s a tremendous anxiety when people hear a siren or they see a street blocked off and they don’t know why,” said Bosse. “Now they get the real-time information from our police department and I think that really does help people feel more relieved.”
Bosse has also made it her goal to improve mental health within the community through the Mayor’s Mental Wellness Series.
In the series, she has hosted conversations with a wide range of speakers, including world-renowned spiritual teacher Deepak Chopra; Holocaust survivor, psychologist and author Dr. Edith Eger; and the young founders of Madhappy, a fashion and lifestyle brand focused on creating conversation around mental health.
When it comes to business recovery, Bosse made it a priority to support new projects that will contribute to the commercial vitality of the city, such as the Cheval Blanc Beverly Hills hotel project. She also launched an extremely successful program highlighting existing concerns through her Business with Bosse meet-ups. Bosse hosted events at over 20 different businesses, showcasing what makes them special and inviting members of the community to come check them out. She also revived the tradition of the “60-Second Shout Out,” which spotlights a different business at every council meeting.
Live with Lili, an open town hall-style conversation, was another Bosse initiative. The gatherings at City Hall provided a forum for residents to freely discuss their concerns and ideas for improving the city.
On top of all of these series and goals, Bosse has continued to be a fearsome voice in the fight against antisemitism and human rights violations.
When antisemitic fliers were found on residents’ doorsteps in October 2022, Bosse spoke out against religious hate in person, online, on “Dr. Phil” and on multiple news outlets. When a menorah was vandalized during Hanukkah, she encouraged the community to draw closer together and continue their celebrations.
“We as a community only got stronger; the next day (after the vandalism) we had a holiday and menorah lighting at our park and we had hundreds and hundreds of people come out,” she said. “It sent a very clear message that light always overcomes darkness.”
When news emerged of the killing of Mahsa Amini in Iran, Bosse again did not hesitate to take a stand. She participated in several marches and led the City Council in passing a resolution calling on the U.S. Government to increase sanctions against the Iranian regime and for the United Nations to expel Iran from its Women’s Rights Commission.
Bosse has also made herself available to respond to residents’ concerns around the clock. She is a member of nine different neighborhood chats that help her stay on top of any problems across all parts of the city.
For example, when winter storms caused sustained power outages, she worked with local hotels to offer discounted room rates to impacted residents.
“When I say that I’m available 24 hours a day, I have been,” Bosse said. “I really believe that the people know that I gave it my all during this term.”
Though Bosse’s list of responsibilities would exhaust anyone, her determination never wavered.
“People have said to me, where do you get your energy? And I realized, I get my energy from people,” she said. “I get energized when I’m around our community and when I’m around the community that I love.”
While Bosse is ending her term as mayor and welcoming Vice-Mayor Julian Gold as her successor, she looks forward to continuing to serve the community as a councilmember.
“I really do believe the best is yet to come,” she said. “I’m just grateful to this community for giving me the honor to serve as their mayor.”
