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VENICE, LOS ANGELES (KABC) – When it comes to law enforcement in Venice, the Los Angeles Police Department has long been the responsible agency.
But now Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva is sending MPs to patrol the boardwalk and beach in a bid to tackle the growing homelessness problem in Venice.
And that sets off a nasty political quarrel.
“The city of LA created this problem,” Villanueva said Monday in Venice. “It is a failure of leadership from above.”
This sparked a series of angry tweets from Los Angeles City Council member Mike Bonin, who called Villanueva a “roadblock” to progress, accused him of exploiting the homeless for ends. policies and called the effort a public relations blitz promising Villanueva’s “notorious mark of justice.” “
On Tuesday morning, members of the Sheriff’s Department’s Homeless Outreach Services team – HOST – hit the promenade in Venice, chatting with members of the homeless community and laying the groundwork to control the settlements .
“This is a humanitarian project,” said Sheriff’s Lt. Geff Deedrick. “We see human misery here, and it is sad and therefore needs to be addressed.”
Spikes in homeless fires, fights and even shootings put Venice on the brink of anarchy. A woman was arrested on Monday for bringing a knife to a campaign event for Mayor Joe Buscaino in Venice.
RELATED: Woman With Knife Disrupts Buscaino’s Venice Press Conference
The LAPD issued a written statement apparently appreciating the sheriff’s department patrols.
“The Los Angeles Police Department is committed to working with all of our partner public safety agencies and elected officials to improve the safety of our communities, including striving to increase awareness and provide housing and facilities. support services needed in the Venice Beach community and beyond. “
Some residents of Venice are also embracing the sheriff’s outreach program, in the hope that it will keep the homeless population under the rule of law.
“It is just extremely unfair to residents and to people with children,” said Ray Maiello, who has lived in Venice for 18 years. “I have never seen this kind of violence in my life. I would like Villanueva to clean it up.”
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