According to two LAPD officers who answered the alley call regarding man in alley inside wooden box that was moveable using skateboard and had small hole used for speaking, and who answered Robert Levy’s question of “What are you doing?” with the statement: “smoking a bowl,” the homeless are moving from the beach to where it is warmer.

Officers Mankey and Rodin who answered the Tuesday evening call said the homeless are moving east. They want to be where it is warmer than the beach but they will not go east of Lincoln. So Triangle can be considered as a warm, cozy point of interest for the winter homeless.

But back to story. That afternoon Robert Levy texted the question often asked by many: “Whom do I contact?” All the police numbers were given but still nothing happened that afternoon.

Captain Davalos Gets in Act
Update was at the Venice Neighborhood Council meet Monday night. Update spotted Captain Victor Davalos, co-commander of the Pacific Division, at VNC meet. He was asked, more or less in desperation, “whom does one contact for a man in alley in a wooden box that is moveable with a skateboard and when asked what he is doing, answers thru a small hole: ‘smoking a bowl?’ ”

He didn’t waste time answering the question; he immediately started thumbing thru his phone until he found a phone number. Well, it wasn’t real immediate. He did give such a glance that Update answered: “This is Venice!” Update followed him outside. He stated the problem. Figured that one was taken care of.

Update decided to head for home. VNC was progressing horizontally. When entering the Triangle, one could see a police car in the alley paralleling Washington. Update was in pursuit. When car passed the Stanford-Carter alley, the Update’s headlights flashed at the police car. Officers caught on and stopped.

Box Spotted
The whole situation was laid out for them. They immediately spotted the wooden box minus the young man. Box had moved from south end of alley to north end as described by Levy. It was a heavy shipping box and filled with nails. The box about 3 x 4 feet covered up clothes and something else, not describable in dark. The young officers toted the box from the Carter-Stanford alley to the Walgreens trash bin. They offered to disassemble it but no one had a hammer.

Update in desperation asked the young officers whom to contact in such a situation. They said the desk at the Pacific Division. Update explained that this had been done many times to no avail. Please realize Update is not familiar with the details of contact, only end results are told to Update.

Mankey and Rodin The Best
Officers Mankey and Rodin, who were just the best experience for anyone trying to get answers, explained that sometimes one should keep calling to get attention. Update was not aware of that part of contacting police.

Update explained the situation with the supposed knock-knock lookout walking the streets of the Triangle earlier this year. Sonjia Gust of Yale took photo, called police, gave address, etc. Police drove by and never contacted Gust. The photo, subsequently, was blasted throughout Venice via the Triangle Update and had response of many sightings. Whether anything was done beyond that is unknown. Officers said, frankly, they didn’t know what went wrong with that situation.

So call the Pacific Division several times if necessary.

Levy Has Another
Levy says he has another one. “I’ve got another that shows his blue Nike shoes and possibly his tattooed legs with about pedal-pusher length pants. But he was not small…so a bit intimidating, but polite, and very high.”

Watch the alleys. Alleys are less travelled. . Keep them clean of bush, trees, weeds, litter. Let all know you care and use the alley. Alleys have really been cleaned up since the cleanup project started. There are still some weeds collecting litter. Clean them and clean your neighbor’s too if necessary. Weeds make for a warm mattress compared to cement. And for crying out loud, remove all furniture. Use “MyLA311” app, if necessary.