LAMC 56.11 Prohibits leaving any merchandise, baggage, or personal property on a public sidewalk.

LAMC 42.15.E.9 States that no person shall set up or set down items in, take down items from or block, or attempt to reserve a Designated Space between Sunset and 9 am.

LAMC 63.44.B.14(b) No person shall enter, remain, stay or loiter in any park which consists of an ocean area, beach, or pier between the hours of 12 midnight and 5 am of the following day.

Starts

The cleanup started at 8 am with all the heads of state of all the departments needed to cleanup and sanitize the areas. Los Angeles Police Department provided roadblocks and supportive assistance. The cleanup started at Navy and will progress southwardly for two days to Windward area.

Members of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority walked the Boardwalk weeks ago talking with the homeless, offering them assistance, prior to any movement that started Monday.

Public Works, Department of Sanitation, seemed to be the group in charge. It all operated like a well-oiled machine. Area got roped off, the men in white entered and removed bags that were tagged for the winter storage downtown. The men in white then scooped the remains into large garbage trucks. After the area was cleaned of debris, it was treated with bleach and water. Then the area was pressure washed.

Everyone—both homeless and the cleaning group seemed to know what was forthcoming and acted accordingly.

One man did get upset with the fact that he couldn’t get his shopping cart. Officer Suarez explained that no one could enter the area, not even her. It had mites and the workers with mite killer hadn’t arrived yet. Sanitation would not allow anyone in the area. Officer Suarez explained that if the gentleman were allowed to retrieve his cart with mites, the mites would be all over. He understood and sat on curb.

Bonin’s Letter

Councilman Mike Bonin wrote 11 December to the Venice Neighborhood Council that cleanups were forthcoming.

“For the past several years, there has been a frequent accumulation of materials on our streets and sidewalks.  Much of the stuff appears to be trash, debris, and even materials used by Venice Beach street vendors.  Much of it appears to be encampments, including tents, furniture, bedrolls, and the personal belongings of people who are living on the streets.

“As many of you know the City has been hamstrung in its ability to clean these areas due to several court cases brought and won by those who argue the City’s removal of personal belongings in the public right of way is a violation of the civil rights of people who are homeless. …

“Fortunately, the City has crafted a protocol, already in use in downtown Los Angeles that will allow City employees to better distinguish between abandoned materials and unattended belongings.  It will permit City crews to remove materials and debris, after giving a 72-hour warning, gagging and tagging removed objects and story them for 90 days – or until someone requests the objects be returned (at which point someone from the City will delivery and return items).”