Vandalism vs. safety in crosswalk debate

Tired of delays, group paints a Westwood intersection. LAPD cites one activist.

- BY SUHAUNA HUSSAIN

Jonathan Hale and more than a dozen other activists were halfway through painting a third crosswalk at an intersection in Westwood on Sunday when two police cars pulled up.

Los Angeles Police Department officers told the group to stop painting and cuffed Hale, video posted to social media shows.

"Leave him alone. He’s not doing anything wrong," says a woman out of frame.

"You're vandalizing city property without a permit so [I'll] ask y’all nicely. Ya'll can record all you want, but back up or I will take everybody to jail," an officer says as Hale is cuffed.

Hale was cited with a misdemeanor of vandalizing property. He has a Jan. 5 court date.

The arrest marks the latest clash between the city of Los Angeles and civilian traffic safety advocates who are frustrated by the delays in getting street intersections painted and are taking it upon themselves to do the work they say can't wait. The tension comes as the city struggles to reduce pedestrian deaths.

Hale's group is dubbed [See Crosswalk, A10]

the People’s Vision Zero, a reference to the city’s 10-year-old “Vision Zero” plan to eliminate traffic-related deaths by 2025.

Despite the plan, the city has not succeeded in eliminating all traffic deaths.