INSIDE INGLEWOOD-According to the Web site CrimeMapping.com, there have been no fewer than six homicides in Inglewood in the first seven weeks of 2014.
One year earlier, during the first two months of 2013,there were no homicides reported in Inglewood, but that appeared to have changed in the months following IPD Chief Mark Fronterotta’s appointment by Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts.
A January 24 story in the LA Times talks about the number of deaths in 2013: “At least 17 people were murdered in Inglewood last year, according to the Homicide Report. According to the Los Angeles Times blog, the city was the 21st most deadly neighborhood out of LA County’s 270 neighborhoods.”
Fronterotta was confirmed as chief during a city council meeting on Wednesday, January 23, 2013.
Residents contend that there have been more murders than have been officially reported. At least one alleged homicide on the 500 block S. Flower near the newly re-opened Forum just days after the Eagles six-day run has apparently been reported as an assault, and the record-breaking murder rate and the way the new chief of police appears to not be working to stop it has residents fearful.
“There have been seven murders in the city,” said one resident during a January church event in Inglewood. Although speaking to a crowd, the resident asked to not be identified owing to the fear of violent retribution that could occur for speaking out against a police chief and mayor who have failed to keep residents safe from murder, assaults and robbery.
According to Crimemapping.com, there have been 101 assaults in the first two months of 2014 reported to Inglewood Police.
The latest shooting death happened Tuesday evening on the corner of West Beach Avenue and Venice Way in Inglewood’s District 2.
The salaries of Inglewood’s mayor and chief of police have also risen in the last year.
In 2012, Butts, had a monthly salary of $9,275; it was raised to $13,537 in December, 2013.
In 2012, the salary for the chief of police of Inglewood was $14,953 monthly. For reasons unknown, the chief’s salary was not listed in the city’s budget for 2013 and 2014, but city hall insiders have confirmed that Fronterotta’s salary is higher now than when he was interim chief up until January of 2013.
District 2’s councilman, Alex Padilla, is a former Santa Monica police officer who was elected council member for D-2 in June, 2013. He gets an annual pension of $185,741 from the City of Santa Monica along with his City of Inglewood salary (approximately $62k + benefits).
Butts has admitted to having groomed Fronterotta. “I was his first supervisor when he went to patrol after graduating from the police academy,” said Butts the day that the new IPD chief was confirmed.
Padilla was formally endorsed and significantly funded by Butts for the 2013 city council campaign. Butts is also a former Santa Monica policeman who receives an annual pension of $236,914 from Santa Monica along with his City of Inglewood pay.
Inglewood is a charter city that covers nine square miles. Approximately two square miles are taken up by the Forum, Hollywood Park and a parking lot that many believe will be a sports stadium owing to it being purchased in January by an NFL franchise owner.
Neither Fronterotta, Butts nor Padilla responded to the requests for comment.
(Randall Fleming is a veteran journalist and magazine publisher. He has worked at and for the New York Post, the Brooklyn Spectator and the Los Feliz Ledger. He is currently editor-in-chief at the Morningside Park Chronicle, a monthly newspaper based in Inglewood, CA and on-line at www.MorningsideParkChronicle.com) Photo credit: Teka-Lark Fleming.
-cw
CityWatch
Vol 12 Issue 19
Pub: Mar 4, 2014
