A resident of an upscale Los Angeles neighborhood says she decided to take matters into her own hands after the city ignored her pleas for help with a homeless encampment.
April Silverman at the Beverly Grove He told KABC TV. He said he tried asking the city for help before taking action to prevent a homeless encampment from re-emerging in his neighborhood.
“He brought fear into this area,” Silverman said of the homeless man who started pitching tents along Sycamore Avenue near La Brea in October. Soon, it grew to several individuals living in up to 5 cars in the area.
“People would come to his tent day and night, as if looking for something,” she continued. Silverman said they were using and selling drugs.
“They drive up, like a drive-thru, and you come up to their window,” she added. “They took the cones out of the city and started blocking off all the parking lots on this block and literally took over the whole block. There was trash everywhere, bad things happened, fights broke out. We We had to call the police. That was our job. “On Christmas Eve, there was a fight and we called the police. People were really scared.”
Silverman said one of the people involved with the homeless camp tried to break into a neighbor's kitchen on New Year's Eve.
She said she has communicated with city officials to address the issue with little success. Among them was Los Angeles City Council member Katie Yaroslavsky, director of homelessness efforts.
Authorities are planning to clean the area on Thursday, and the men will have to remove their tents and belongings, but will be allowed to return after the cleanup.
“They won’t protect me and this area.”
Silverman recognized this as an opportunity and worked with the private commercial owners to build a structure that would keep him from retreating into a corner.
done.
“I felt like the city was ignoring me by defending this man and putting him above the criminal activity I witnessed,” Silverman continued. “I had proof, I had evidence, and they just didn't care. I realized, 'You know what? I have to take this into my own hands, physically, literally. Because they won't protect me and this area.'' We have to take that back.''
The man was seen nearby, but he has not returned to his tent. However, some people in the neighborhood still live in their cars.
Yaroslavsky's office issued a statement saying they tried to secure housing for a man who was camping on the corner. They also called on the Los Angeles Police Department to investigate the allegations of criminal conduct.
Beverly Grove median home price is over $1.8 million according to To Redfin.
Mr. Silverman's KABC interview is below.
Do you like Blaze News? Avoid censorship and sign up for our newsletter to get articles like this delivered straight to your inbox. Please register here!
