On the surface, this place seems like something out of a movie. Well, since it is Hollywood, I guess there is a good reason for it. Walking along Hollywood and Vine, the 90210 zip code really captures the imagination. Everywhere you look, expectations are that someone behind those wrap-around OP sunglasses was on your favorite television thriller last night, or the couple in the Bentley convertible just returned from a movie screening at the Kodak Theater up the block.

But as you walk down Hollywood Boulevard, it is quickly evident that this is home to almost every socio-economic group. Behind the glitter, Hollywood faces all the same issues any metropolitan area does — ranging from violent crime to simple panhandling. In fact, a decade ago, crime had so tarnished the glitz of the Hollywood business district that it was deemed unsafe by tourists, and local merchants agreed that something had to be done. So business owners took a unique and community-friendly approach to combating crime.

Thus, the Hollywood Entertainment District was born. It stretches along the world-famous Walk of Fame and spans historic Hollywood Boulevard, from the LaBrea Gateway on the west to the Hollywood (101) Freeway on the east, with most of Hollywood’s famous landmarks located in its epicenter. This Business Investment District (BID) is funded by more than 225 property owners and operates an annual budget of $3.4 million that is used primarily for private security and maintenance services.

What has emerged over the last decade-plus is perhaps one of the most successful examples of public-private partnerships and community policing in the United States. Walking into the Spartan-like community center substation manned by private security firm Andrews International in the Hollywood and Vine district, I meet Bill Farrar, senior vice president of operations and business development for Andrews, who explains his vision.

“This place used to be the armpit of the area. Tourists were afraid to come, businesses were threatened and the police presence was stretched,” says Farrar, who served in the Los Angeles Police Department for more than 23 years. “What we have established here is a true partnership between the community, the local police and the private sector.”