A police union in Los Angeles is criticizing mayoral candidate Nithya Raman regarding her stance on homelessness. They’ve released a new ad that highlights the presence of homeless encampments near schools, aiming to draw attention to this issue in the race for mayor.
The Los Angeles Police Protective League unveiled a 30-second advertisement featuring a young girl walking past these encampments while Raman’s previous remarks about a 500-foot anti-camping buffer zone play in the background.
The ad, called “Nithya Raman Won’t Keep Our Kids Safe,” showcases a girl who expresses her fear while walking to school, noting that she encounters things she shouldn’t see and feels the need to look down to avoid certain hazards, such as stepping on needles. This is in response to Raman’s comments suggesting that a tent being 500 feet away from a school doesn’t necessarily make a child safer.
Raman has previously opposed expanding the city’s anti-camping measures, arguing that relocating encampments does not effectively address homelessness and that the city requires more resources for shelter and housing.
The police union also pointed out that Raman has voted against banning homeless encampments over 75 times at multiple locations, including schools, parks, and daycares. Additionally, Raman’s campaign has not provided a comment on this advertisement, as reported by other sources.
Furthermore, correspondence from April and May highlighted that over 130 issues exacerbated by canceled Housing and Homelessness Committee meetings remain unresolved. A homelessness initiative backed by Raman, intended to house around 2,000 people, has reportedly housed only three families as it faced significant challenges.
In the midst of this scrutiny, Raman’s recent decision to expand her home in Silver Lake also raised eyebrows, as she plans to increase the size of her property by nearly 88%, drawing criticism from those who question her commitment to housing affordability.
