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Freeway Homeless Encampments Dismantled

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Category: Community News

Published on Friday, 18 October 2013 14:13

Written by Carla Pineda

Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved to close down three walkways near Crenshaw Boulevard at their September 13, 2013 meeting. According to Council District 10, the walkways, inhabited by dozens of transients, will be closed for 18 months to help reduce heightened criminal activity.

Located between Adams Blvd. and Interstate 10 and spanning from Virginia Rd. on the west to Bronson Ave. on the east, The Crenshaw Victoria Pedestrian Walkway, the walkway at Wellington and the walkway at Bronson will be closed.  They are adjacent to Rosa Parks Villa, the U-Haul store and private residential property. 

The Council adopted this motion after Councilman Herb Wesson introduced it a year ago. Wesson’s office moved to take action on these “long-standing sites for transient dumping of trash and debris” because they are a “magnet for illegal drug sales, prostitution and blight.” 

The “encampments” the transient population have created made these walkways an eyesore, according to Los Angeles Police Department Captain Paul A. Snell.

“The area is used for panhandling, drinking, fighting, narcotics sales/use, indecent exposure/prostitution, robbery and assaults involving weapons,” said Snell in a letter supporting the motion.

Multi-agency attempts to clean up the area have proved ineffective at addressing “this major quality of life issue,” according to the motion. 

Supporters include the Cherrywood/Leimert Block Club, which argued that the walkway inhabitants appear to be “mentally impaired” and often under the influence, and that they panhandle and harass passers-by aggressively. Other supporters include the West Adams Avenues Quality of Life Committee, 

One of the conditions to the closure is that property owners/residents next door to the walkways provide routine cleanup of the closed walkways, though permission for the closure was not necessary from the adjoining property owners.

Photo by Dawn Kirkpatrick

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