(Photo courtesy of Rick Swinger.) Rat hole shown next to Google fence on 3rd Ave. Area is riddled with similar holes and this is why Google was cited. Sidewalk is where the homeless reside on the west side of 3rd Ave. Fence is the Google property.

(30 July 2019) Google, located on Main St, has been cited by the Los Angeles County Health Department, Vector Control, for rat infestation next to the encampment on 3rd Ave.  Google encompasses two blocks from Main St to 3rd Ave, between Sunset and Rose Ave.

Pedro of Vector Control told Rick Swinger that bate boxes need to be installed and trash cleaned up.

Rick Swinger, who called the County Health Department several months ago, said that this will certainly help but the 1800 individually locked storage units across the street at Public Storage on east side of 3rd are nesting places for rats and with only two county rat inspectors for the whole county, this is just a start to cure the rat infestation in area.

(Photo courtesy of Rick Swinger.)

Rick Swinger, at his own expense,  has been providing  flea collars to residents on 3rd Ave who have dogs.   It is the flea that is the culprit, the entity that carries the typhus, bubonic plague.

Rick Swinger has also been outspoken about the Sanitation Department not sanitizing 3rd Ave on Fridays.  Sometimes they sanitize and sometimes they power wash but it is not consistent.