The Beverly Hills Human Relations Commission met Nov. 21 to hear updates on various topics, including school attendance and programming from the Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD), crime rates from the Beverly Hills Police Department, and safety concerns surrounding electric bicycles. The commission also received an update from Our Big Kitchen Los Angeles, an organization that provides meals to vulnerable communities. Lastly, the commission heard about plans for an Anti-Hate Initiative.
BHUSD Board Member Noah Margo reported that school attendance rates are above 95%, the district’s goal. Beverly Hills High School has launched a program called “Noble Norman” to recognize acts of charity and kindness among staff and students. Margo also discussed the district’s Check-In Check-Out program, which helps students struggling behaviorally or academically.
“Check-In Check-Out is very successful,” Margo said. “It’s doing restorative practices, listening circles, lunch connections, reflections and student reviews. These initiatives are getting more attention to ensure students don’t slip through the cracks.”
Margo also highlighted other programs that foster kindness, compassion and support across the district. He addressed recent post-election incidents at the high school that are under investigation.
“Social media certainly has dealt us a blow in the last couple of weeks, since the election following the rally,” he said. “It’s been weighing on the administration and the board very heavily. The unfortunate thing is that events like this distract from learning and social well-being. We quickly lose sight of what our job is, and that is to educate children. Hopefully, we can turn this into a learning opportunity for our students to promote understanding between cultures and races.”
Sgt. Billy Fair of the Beverly Hills Police Department reported a 6% decrease in crime between September and October 2024. Arrests, however, were up 20% during the same period.
“Hopefully, you can see that crime going down correlates directly to the number of arrests we’ve made,” Sgt. Fair said.
The department’s average response time to emergency calls in October was 2 minutes, 59 seconds, a statistic Fair highlighted as a point of pride for the department. He attributed the drop in crime to the increased use of technology, including the installation of 3,000 cameras throughout the city and the presence of patrol officers. Fair also commended the department’s work on mental health calls. “I do supervise the mental health evaluation team, and I can tell you that they are staying busy, and they’re doing a great job.”
Officer Joel Givens also presented concerns about the dangers posed by electric bicycles. He reported that some e-bikes exceed legal wattage and speed limits, functioning more like motorcycles. Riders have been cited for violations such as riding on sidewalks or operating without helmets. Many of these riders, particularly younger individuals, have been driving recklessly and evading police officers.
“I’m always a big advocate of getting parents involved,” Givens said. “The parents are the ones allowing their children to ride these bikes and purchasing them, but unfortunately, they’re not educating themselves about the risks.”
The police department is collaborating with the school district to develop a certification process for students wishing to operate e-bikes on school property.
Yossi Segelman, executive director of Our Big Kitchen Los Angeles, briefed the commission on the organization’s work to provide meals for those in need. Segelman explained that the nonprofit uses volunteers to prepare and deliver restaurant-quality meals to people facing hardship, including many Beverly Hills residents. The recipients include individuals on Skid Row, minority housing centers in Beverly Hills, domestic violence shelters, and shelters in Watts and Compton, as well as student organizations across Los Angeles.
Segelman noted that 6.5% of volunteers are based in Beverly Hills, and the organization delivers more than 800 meals each week to the Menorah Senior Housing Center in Beverly Hills.
Michael Muse, recreation services manager, provided an update on the city’s Anti-Hate Initiative, launched through the Anti-Hate Ad Hoc Committee. The committee is focused on promoting diversity and unity, and discussed inviting speakers from various communities to address and dispel stereotypes through conversation. The committee plans to have speakers confirmed by the second week of December for an event scheduled for Jan. 23.
