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Conversations about Culver Metropolis — the colourful enclave on Los Angeles’ Westside usually referred to as “the Coronary heart of Screenland” — often embrace phrases reminiscent of “walkable” and “inexperienced areas” and “Erewhon.”
So when U.S. Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi insinuated town of 39,000 residents is against the law haven throughout a heated alternate with Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Los Angeles) Wednesday, native officers and personalities responded with statistics, memes and wry mockery.
Bondi slipped within the jab close to the tip of an arduous Home listening to largely centered on the Division of Justice’s dealing with of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Kamlager-Dove, whose district contains Culver Metropolis, hammered Bondi over deleted Division of Justice knowledge linking far-right ideology with political killings, asserting that “there are violent, harmful individuals on the market with actual threats.”
“There are — in your district,” Bondi responded. “Her district contains Culver Metropolis, and she or he’s not speaking about any crime in her district. Nothing about serving to crime in her district. She’s not even value moving into the main points.”
Hometown names stepped as much as defend the burg by posting images of fresh streets, manicured parks and buzzing group occasions.
Political commentator and Angeleno Brian Taylor Cohen referred to as town “probably the most non-controversially protected” locations in L.A., whereas Culver Metropolis-based comic Heather Gardner stated: “The worst crime of the century is that this girl had made a mockery of our justice system. Launch the un-redacted recordsdata. Prosecute the REAL crimes.”
Kamlager-Dove shrugged off Bondi’s remark, saying Culver Metropolis was identified for “breakfast burritos — not crime.”
A spokesperson for the Justice Division couldn’t present examples of political violence or home terrorism in Culver Metropolis, and as an alternative accused Kamlager-Dove of “having no real interest in discussing public security in and round her district.”
Crime in Culver Metropolis declined 9.7% in 2024 and was down a further 6.1% within the third quarter of 2025 in contrast with the identical interval of 2024, in accordance with the Culver Metropolis Police Division. Violent crime declined 3.9% in 2024 — the final full yr of obtainable knowledge — however seems to be trending towards a slight improve in 2025.
From 2023 to 2024, murders dropped to zero whereas aggravated assault, kidnapping and theft additionally fell. There have been 26 instances of sexual assault within the metropolis in 2024, in contrast with 25 in 2023. The one violent crime that noticed a big improve have been easy assaults, which rose 8.1%.
The California Division of Justice and the FBI reported in 2024 that crime within the state had fallen to “among the many lowest ranges ever recorded.”
Mayor Freddy Puza, in an interview Thursday, described Culver Metropolis as a “sturdy and vibrant group” of individuals with no scarcity of job alternatives at small companies and firms alike, together with TikTok, Pinterest and leisure giants Apple, Amazon and Sony.
He stated the native authorities has been capable of decrease crime charges by way of community-based policing and by offering housing and social companies to its unsheltered inhabitants. The mayor characterised Bondi’s retort as a “knee-jerk response” from an lawyer common confronted with damaging public belief considerations at her division.
“My learn of it’s that she’s making an attempt to deflect,” he stated. “I feel she might actually spend her time prosecuting the individuals within the Epstein recordsdata and ensuring that info from the federal authorities is clear.”
Town had seen no ideological violence, he stated, including, “however the potential for it’s proper across the nook. There’s little doubt that it’s on the rise and the president is stoking it. Persons are turning into additional and additional polarized.”
On the listening to, Bondi confronted sharp criticism over the Justice Division’s Epstein investigation — particularly over redaction errors within the launch of tens of millions of case recordsdata final month. In a single occasion, the lawyer common refused to apologize to Epstein victims within the room, saying she wouldn’t “get into the gutter” with partisan requests from Democrats.
Her efficiency has already prompted a volley of bipartisan calls for for her resignation, together with from conservative pundits together with Megyn Kelly, Nick Fuentes and Kyle Rittenhouse.
Culver Metropolis was not Bondi’s solely goal Wednesday. She referred to as Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) a “washed-up loser lawyer,” accused Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of affected by “Trump derangement syndrome,” and branded former CNN anchor Don Lemon a “blogger.”
For the reason that listening to, nevertheless, she has stayed silent as locals proceed to query her intel and chuckle over pictures of the pylon-protected conflict zone of Culver Metropolis.
“The worst crime in Culver Metropolis,” Gardener joked once more on TikTok, “is that they cost $24 for a smoothie at Erewhon.”
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