People who are arrested and booked at West Hollywood Jail are being exposed on the Internet. An online publication is now allowing its users to view who has been arrested in West Hollywood including names, ages and the crime they — for alleged crimes from misdemeanors to felonies.

Not everyone is in favor having arrests being made public. Some in the community said they are upset and called this nothing more than public shaming, but the man behind WEHOville said residents have the right to know.

“WEHOville is committed to publishing the facts about arrestees who have been taken to West Hollywood Jail, without fear or favor,” publisher Hank Scott said in a statement. “Those facts have included the felony convictions of a recent city commissioner and revelations of lawsuits against various people who have run for City Council.”

Some of the crimes posted range from rape to driving with a suspended license. And while legal analyst Steve Meister said what Scott is doing is legal, he said it was not justifiable.

“Lawful, but awful,” Meister said. “For a little, basically harmless, victimless misdemeanor, why do you have to go trashing somebody online about it, because that’s all that’s going to happen to them.”

Darin Weeks, the editor of a competing online publication, WeHo Daily, called the arrest posts public shaming.

“As soon as your name is on the internet, it’s there forever basically,” Weeks said. “And a potential employer might see it, or somebody you might be interested in dating might google your name and see it. But you’ve immediately been sentenced without being convicted of the crime.”

Scott stated that he was using an arrest reporting service made available through a membership with the California Newspaper Publishers Association, and he said he has no plans to stop running the list of arrests and booking at West Hollywood Jail.

Inmates at the Los Angeles Police Department Hollywood Community Jail & Police Station (the “Hollywood Jail” or the “Jail”) can be visited, Monday – Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  Be aware that the Jail’s visiting hours and roster of inmates who are eligible for visits vary and are subject to change without notice. Therefore, you should always call the Jail at 213-485-5125 or 213-972-2971 when planning a visit. Arrestees who are detained at the Hollywood Jail generally reside from the following communities: Argyle, Cahuenga Pass, East Hollywood, Fairfax, Hobart, Hollywood, Hollywood Hills, Hollywood/La Brea, Little Armenia, Los Feliz, Melrose District, Mount Olympus, Sierra Vista, Spaulding Square, Sunset Strip, Thai Town, Vine and Willoughby.

In most cases, an inmate may receive one 15-minute visit per day every day of the week. An inmate may have up to one (1) visitor per permitted visit. Visitors under the age of 18 (minors) must be accompanied by an adult and have an ID. Attorneys, clergymen and bail bondsmen may visit at any time for as long as they like.

How do you get booking information? Anyone can obtain information about persons who have been arrested and taken to the Hollywood Jail by calling 213-473-6100 at twenty-four hours per day. If you want to get information about any inmate online, visit The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Inmate Information Center or call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s 24-hour “Booking Information” line at 213-473-6080.  

It is important to know that you will need to know the full name and date of birth of the person being held in jail or his booking number to obtain any information. For specific information regarding the arrestee’s case, including upcoming court dates, it is recommended that you visit the Los Angeles County Superior Court website.

Even though word that a protest called for Monday, June 1, at the Van Nuys Civic Center had been canceled, hundreds converged in a growing demonstration against police violence and racism. The demonstrations provided cover for dozens of looters who hit area businesses, breaking in, taking what they could carry and running. Many of them were arrested and booked at Van Nuys Jail.

 Later in the evening, Police declared the event an unlawful assembly, and hundreds of LAPD and CHP officers — on foot, on motorcycles and in patrol cars — could be seen converging on the area in video from ABC7’s helicopter. At least 50 law-enforcement SUVs were parked in the middle of Van Nuys Boulevard, blocking the street to traffic at Oxnard Street.

Due to the countywide curfew, most of the protesters had left by 5 pm and about a hundred remained, in contrast to the several hundred in the area during the afternoon.

As the looting continued into the evening, by 8:30 p.m. some 60 people were arrested and taken to Van Nuys Jail for looting near Sherman Way and Van Nuys Blvd., LAPD Commander Jeff Bert said.

It was late in the afternoon when looters descended on the commercial strip near the Valley’s historic core.

Many businesses were looted. The Boost Mobile store on Van Nuys Boulevard was among the businesses ransacked and a window was broken at the Valley Herbal Center marijuana shop on nearby Victory Boulevard.

It was later discovered that looters pried open the security gate, broke the window and cleared out the Super Discount Pharmacy on the 14600 block of Victory Boulevard Many similar businesses had also been targeted by thieves in search of codeine and other prescription narcotics, Bert said.

Approximately 30 officers were guarding the Van Nuys City Hall building, with demonstrators being held at the bottom of the steps to the historic structure, which was built in 1932.