Activists paint Westwood crosswalk to improve safety. Police shut down effort, cite volunteer for vandalism

"Jonathan Hale and more than a dozen other activistss 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 footage posted to social media shows. "Leave him alone, he's not doing anything wrong," a woman out of frame says."

""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," the officer cuffing Hale said. Hale was cited with a misdemeanor for vandalizing property. He has a court date for Jan. 5. 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."

"The mayor's office said in a Monday statement that it offered to collaborate with Hale, noting that it is "willing to work with any Angeleno who wants to make our streets safer" and that it hopes to "develop solutions to expedite the installation of crosswalks that meet legal and accessibility requirements." "Despite communication about City, State, and Federal laws and parameters, Jonathan has chosen to continue to pursue his own course of action," the mayor's office said."

Activists frustrated by delays in official crosswalk installations painted an unpermitted third crosswalk at a Westwood intersection. Los Angeles Police Department officers arrived, ordered the group to stop and arrested Jonathan Hale, who was cited with a misdemeanor for vandalizing city property and given a court date. The arrest intensified tensions between civilian traffic safety advocates and the city as officials work to reduce pedestrian deaths. The mayor's office said it offered to collaborate with the activist and aims to develop expedited crosswalk installation solutions that meet legal and accessibility requirements while noting applicable laws and parameters.

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