Drugs and feces: popular park closed in Los Angeles due to homelessness

Los Angeles is closing another public park that is being used as a makeshift camp for the homeless, indicating a growing problem in major metropolitan areas across the country. Fox News.

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As homeless camps flooded public spaces with drug paraphernalia and human waste, public safety concerns crowded out the cultural events once enjoyed by residents seeking a green haven within the city.

It is unclear if this will cause difficulties, such as cleaning up MacArthur Park in Los Angeles, and similar controversies that have been observed throughout the city in recent months. Hundreds of protesters blocked the city's gangs trying to clear the Echo Park homeless camp in March, and dozens were arrested.

And ironically, on the other hand, the “safe camping” program designed to protect tents from demolition in Venice Beach has outraged residents and vendors alike, with some calling for the recall of Los Angeles City Councilor Mike Bonin because of this initiative.

As he launches a 2022 mayoral bid to address homelessness, Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino addressed supporters in Venice Beach in June - before a homeless woman pulled out a knife and announced she would start killing people. , and several police officers pushed her to the ground.

Fed up with Bonin's program, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva sent foot patrols outside, demanding that the tents be cleared by July. Councilor Mike Bonin orchestrated attempts to relocate some 200 homeless people to motels.

Los Angeles City Councilor Jill Zedillo said MacArthur Park will be closed from Oct.15 for about ten weeks as the City Department of Recreation and Parks catches up with maintenance needs delayed during the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Los Angeles Times. His office counted about 45 tents scattered across 32 acres of parkland divided by Wilshire Boulevard on September 29.

Seeking to insulate his cleanup efforts from controversy, Zedillo explained that the homeless who camped at MacArthur Park had been given a notice several weeks before closing. Between January and the end of last month, the Los Angeles Homelessness Administration and PATH homeless agency have already helped relocate more than 160 people from MacArthur Park to shelters or other housing.

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Demonstrators gathered to protest the planned temporary closure of a park in Los Angeles, which houses a large homeless camp that has grown during the coronavirus pandemic, one of them pitched a tent in front of police.

But Jose Rodriguez, deputy district director of Zedillo, told the Times that the presence of members of the MS-13 gang, who use extortion and violence to intimidate people who visit territory they consider to be theirs, is of particular concern.

The cleanup project is estimated at $ 1,5 million and will include lighting upgrades, lawn replacements, irrigation system repairs and new benches.

Meanwhile, about 41 people live on the streets of Los Angeles, and this figure is expected to rise after the end of the eviction moratorium. It is known that migrants from Honduras and other Central American countries camp in parks, live among other homeless people, and some of them are struggling with drug addiction. And the problem is spreading to public parks across the country in cities including Minneapolis and New York.

Last month, the City of Denver announced that Civic Center Park will be closed from September 15, citing "significant public health and environmental risks that have increased over the past few months." The City noted a variety of unsafe conditions, including litter and food waste, rampant rodent infestations, and human and domestic animal waste that contribute to the spread of disease and affect water quality.

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Discarded needles and other drug supplies also pose risks to the people who visit the area and the workers tasked with maintaining the park. According to city officials, graffiti and fires have damaged the historic stone buildings - they need professional restoration.

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