Body is wrapped in yellow comforter at corner of Lincoln and Washington.
One wonders what is happening in Venice … and it is not just Venice. But more importantly, what can be done? Homeless are sleeping all over the streets, on bus stop benches, and in doorways on commercial properties and sidewalks and in residential neighborhoods in alleys, bushes, etc. Things are stolen or missing from yards. People wake early in morning to find people trying to get into their cars. Homeless go into yards in broad daylight and take things.
The streets–commercial and residential–are filled with homeless roaming. Most are wired with drugs or asleep on the sidewalks drunk. Homeless in Venice are mostly “travellers,” meaning they are just passing thru and enjoying the sun.
City Officials Well Aware and Acting
Our City officials–Mayor Eric Garcetti, Councilman Mike Bonin, City Attorney Mike Feuer are well aware of what is going on, what is necessary, and are working toward a cleaned, everybody-housed, everybody-healed city.
The changing from 72-hour notification to 24, along with the removal of bulky items without notification will help, no doubt about it. Providing more storage for the homeless is another.
Laws backing up enforcement and incarceration have got to be considered along with a place to incarcerate. This is all daunting.
Private Groups Quietly Making a Difference
The Teen Post in Venice and Chaplain Steve Weller are quiet, effective workers, getting people off the streets, into a productive life.
Silver Triangle (See Comments.)
Saturday morning at 4:15 am, a resident of the Silver Triangle was awakened by a man first ringing her front door bell and then pounding on her front door so hard she thought he would break in. He yelled and cursed.
Police were called twice, as first 911 call was busy. They came after 30 minutes. Three ADT security cars came after 10 minutes and followed man down Mildred until the police arrived.
Blood was running down man’s leg and man was yelling that someone had stabbed and shot him.
Man had written in blood all over front door and there was blood on the steps and walkway. One neighbor said it reminded her of Charles Mansion.
Man was taken by ambulance to the hospital.
Golden, Oxford Triangle
Harold Belker, who lives in the 800 block of Dickson, saw a man walk out of his yard with his wet suit tucked under the arm. Belker tackled him, his wife called the police, and the police apprehended him. He had gone thru other peoples’ yards. This happened in daylight about 6 pm Sunday.
A flower pot was stolen from house on Thatcher and owner found drug equipment behind house in alley.
One man woke to find someone trying to get in his car.
Sanitation department now includes the Maintenance Yard on Thatcher on their weekly Friday cleanup sweeps, along with Ocean Front Walk and 3rd. One week they reported getting three needles. It is private property inhabited by homeless at night.
The truck that was reported stolen from Thatcher driveway was found in East Los Angeles with guns and bows with arrows inside. Guns had the serial numbers removed.
Lincoln and Washington corner looks like a Third World country transplanted. Adam Firestone’s brewery, which is under construction, had someone clean the yard and street of all the debris at Carter next to Walgreen’s. So what in picture above is gone.
Normally, one person cleans that corner along Carter, not Washington, every Monday morning. This Monday morning there were too many sleeping, too dirty for one person.
Illegal solicitors at that corner only help advertise the Venice homeless, lawless drug and alcoholic problem.
How can anyone with a straight face believe anything is being done as it applies to homelessness in Venice? If someone can camp out at Washington & Lincoln, can the problem be anymore evident and obvious to these elected officials with their heads buried in a bureaucracy of sand? What has changed over the last 30 days? The last 60 days? The last year? The last five years? Have things improved? If you believe they have improved, please comment and state those improvements.