LA activist arrested for painting crosswalks after claiming the city ignored repeated safety requests

LOS ANGELES - A crosswalk safety activist said he was put in handcuffs and arrested by police for painting crosswalks at dangerous intersections. He said he's been reaching out to the office of Mayor Karen Bass for months to improve safety in neighborhoods before taking matters into his own hands. 

The arrest happened Sunday morning in Westwood. Jonathan Hale with the activist group, People's Vision Zero, said he was handcuffed, searched, and detained. 

What they're saying:

"You’re vandalizing city property without a permit. So im going to ask you all nicely, you can record all you want but back up or I will take everybody to jail," an officer could be heard saying in video shared with FOX 11. 

"I communicated that to the officer. I said, Hey, look, we're a group of neighbors. We're protesting for safer streets and a more effective government. The officer made us stop painting, detained me, put me in handcuffs. They threatened to take me to jail," Jonathan Hale with People’s Vision Zero said. 

Since May, Hale's group has painted crosswalks across Los Angeles, saying the city ignored repeated safety requests. 

"In 2015 the city committed to Vision Zero, which is the idea that we're going to have zero traffic fatalities by the year 2025 and we failed abysmally. So now we've established the people's Vision Zero to draw attention to the issue," he explained. 

Some residents call it civic activism, while others see both sides. 

"On the one hand, they are taking matters into their own hands and trying to be good citizens. On the other hand, it’s really not their role. The city really should be the one following up on their requests and do their due diligence," said Westwood resident Beatriz Cantelmo.

Hale said he emailed the mayor's office in advance about every location… but nothing changes, so the group plans to keep painting wherever they believe it's needed. 

"I think people's lives are on the line if we don't work with urgency to address some of these issues, you're more likely to get hit by a car or die in traffic violence than you are to get murdered in the city of Los Angeles."