News > Politics > Los Angeles Addresses Skid Row Causes

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SATURDAY MARCH 18 2006 1:17 PM

Los Angeles Addresses Skid Row Causes

Submitted by Shal

Edited by Shal

Finally, civil libertarians, law enforcement officials, downtown business owners, and the city government of Los Angeles have come to an agreement on a plan to reduce the downtown Skid Row population. For once, it doesn't involve short-sighted sweeps of the tent-and-cardboard-box encampments, which have only served to temporarily relocate the homeless population to short-term jail stays or push the camps into other neighborhoods.

The new approach combines cracking down on drug dealers, increasing patrols by experienced police officers instead of rookie beat cops, and expanding drug rehab programs, medical care programs, and job training programs in the area.

The various parties are lined up behind a plan put forward by criminologist George Kelling, who has called for the LAPD to crack down on the drug dealers, prostitutes and other criminals on skid row.

His strategy would put dozens more officers on the streets of skid row, with an emphasis on experienced beat cops rather than rookies. In addition to the heavier uniformed police presence, there would be more undercover officers assigned to target the area's drug bazaars.

But the plan would leave in place for now the homeless encampments that stand near the increasingly gentrifying sections of downtown where historic buildings have been converted into upscale lofts and condos.

Downtown business interests, traditionally the biggest advocates for a "take back the streets" approach to cleaning up the area, say they support Kelling's plan even if it would allow homeless people to remain in their tents for now.

"We've come to the sad conclusion that most of it is a drug problem," Central City Assn. President Carol Schatz said.

[Los Angeles Mayor Antonio] Villaraigosa is spearheading a $50-million effort to build thousands of heavily subsidized apartments for the most intransigent street people, placing them in buildings that will also offer medical care, counseling and job training.

With money coming in from Proposition 63, which increased funding for services like Villaraigosa wants, and increased understanding and cooperation from the downtown Business Associations, perhaps this multi-pronged approach to reducing the causes of homelessness will have a positive effect on the more than 24,000 who currently call the streets of Los Angeles "home."

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Comments

James_

United Kingdom

March 2003

MAR 18, 2006 01:38 PM

Putting more enforcers on the street will maybe solve the drug problem in that part of town, but it will just move somewhere else, and a new Skid Row will spring up, just as sucky as the last. If the causes of homelessness in this area are because of drugs, then the solution is to end the drug problem permanantly via decriminalisation and government control. The tax money on the drugs can be used to improve the facilities in this part of town for the underprivileged.
Of course, the other parts of the program are definitely a big step in the right direction, I just don't think focusing additional enforcers will help much, if at all.

zenFish

Vancouver, BC

August 2004

MAR 18, 2006 01:39 PM

Sounds like a good plan, and it's good to see someone realize that problems stem from a source (drug dealers, and suck), rather then one of the end results.

Hope this works out, as it then could be used by other cities as a example, to help clean up their own "bad" areas.

Andvari

Calgary, AB

April 2005

MAR 18, 2006 01:49 PM

I naturally can't speak for Los Angeles, but so much of our homeless problem is caused by the lack of social services for the mentally ill. Sounds like this plan is addressing that aspect of the issue, hopefully we can learn from LA.

Shal

Los Angeles, CA

October 2002

MAR 18, 2006 01:55 PM

Andvari said:
I naturally can't speak for Los Angeles, but so much of our homeless problem is caused by the lack of social services for the mentally ill. Sounds like this plan is addressing that aspect of the issue, hopefully we can learn from LA.

Hopefully, LA is successful in its allocation of funds and outreach programs.

One of the current problems in Los Angeles is that homeless services go unused because people who need the services don't know about them or don't know how to get to them. That problem is being worked on by social service agencies here, but it's still a major problem -- housing for the indigent and beds in shelters sit empty every night of the year.

unravled

Portland, OR

August 2003

MAR 18, 2006 01:55 PM

James_ said:
Putting more enforcers on the street will maybe solve the drug problem in that part of town, but it will just move somewhere else, and a new Skid Row will spring up, just as sucky as the last. If the causes of homelessness in this area are because of drugs, then the solution is to end the drug problem permanantly via decriminalisation and government control. The tax money on the drugs can be used to improve the facilities in this part of town for the underprivileged.
Of course, the other parts of the program are definitely a big step in the right direction, I just don't think focusing additional enforcers will help much, if at all.

This country is moving further and further away from any possibility of decriminalizing drugs every day. It certainly won't work at a federal level, and even in California, as forward thinking and liberal as you may think we are, legalizing drugs is a pipe dream. This is the best solution to the problem right now.