Four officers in teams of two will walk the community seven hours a day, every day. They carry radios and phones, and have a mobile command for a faster responseYou might say there is a new sheriff in town: a private security firm by the name of Citiguard. It’s based in Los Angeles. Citiguard Officers John and Keith have been walking the Hillcrest beat since Sunday. “We’ve had good feedback from the business owners," John said."We assisted someone in need having breathing problems.
Gioia’s Room Boutique is a popular women’s clothing store on Fifth Avenue. Gioia Marino and her mother have been in the business in Hillcrest for nearly 13 years. "I didn’t have an incident all day," Marino said."I remember thinking to myself, 'I wonder why that is?' Then I remembered it was December 1st, the very first day this security started."
Three teenagers accused in a string of hate crime related attacks in Hillcrest pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors say they committed the crimes with a fourth teen who was already charged back in September. NBC 7's Shandel Menezes has the latest.. That same night, others outside Hillcrest clubs were fired on. Vicious hate-filled tags showed up on several utility boxes and murals. Vandals destroyed property.