Carter side of Walgreens at Lincoln and Washington.

Bus stop on Lincoln Blvd in front of shopping center at Washington and Lincoln. (Both photos were taken Monday morning, 27 April.)

Note: This Letter was sent to Captain Nicole Alberca of Pacific Division and Mayor Eric Garcetti by Bonnie Barrett, long-time resident of Oxford Triangle, area just west of Lincoln and south of Washington.

I have been a local for many years. My home on Stanford Avenue was built in 1924 by my grandfather, Max Balfour. I hope that we may someday meet.

I am writing to let you know how distressing it is to long-time residents to be unable to walk to the local bus stop to use public transportation. I am in the senior citizen class, and I love to use the Metro on weekends. Unfortunately I can no longer conveniently do so. Our local bus stop has been made into an encampment for individuals with mental health and addiction issues. Today, as we were crossing Washington and Lincoln, we actually saw one of the bus-stop residents moving an office chair in.

Carter Avenue is no longer a place to walk as there are frequently people passed out on the sidewalk. I have personally witnessed public urination and defecation when driving past on my early morning commute.

Recently, my husband was attacked by one of the residents when he was walking on Lincoln on his way back from Ralphs. A male approached him and “shot” him with a finger-gun and then threatened to “blow his head off”. When my husband did not react, the man became more aggressive, grabbed Jim’s face and issued further threats.

I am now afraid to walk just two blocks from my long-time home.

I know that law enforcement faces many legal and logistical challenges in dealing with the “unhoused” population. I do not understand all that you must contend with, but I wish to let you know that the neighborhood quality of life has deteriorated markedly in the last year.

Our Mayor has created a brilliant plan to make Los Angeles a transit-friendly city, but it will not succeed unless ordinary citizens can feel safe walking the streets and waiting for a bus.