Los Angeles residents woke on Thursday to seeing sanitation crews, police, and volunteers clearing away homeless encampments at Dockweiler State Beach in Playa del Rey. The action comes after persistent complaints about increased numbers of tents and related problems like discarded needles and public defecation, as reported by ABC7.
Notices had been given out to the homeless individuals by Los Angeles Councilwoman Traci Park's team. However, it remains uncertain if those displaced will return or locate their belongings. Elsewhere, bulldozers and dump trucks were seen clearing debris, and the clear-up operation sparked a mix of relief and concern among residents.
A significant frustration had been brewing among locals, with the number of tents rising from an estimated five to twenty, Lucy Han, co-founder of the Friends of the Jungle, described violent and threatening behaviors, including instances when individuals living in the encampments "throw rocks at people, we have them threatening people ... they've got needles, they are cooking in the sand," according to a KCAL News interview.
The backdrop to these local actions has been a state-level push by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who following a Supreme Court ruling, ordered cities and counties to clear homeless encampments or face the potential loss of state funding.
