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Bad to Worse in Skid Row

County Orders City to Clean Up Skid Row

The County Department of Public Health says Skid Row sidewalks are a health hazard. The city blames a controversial legal ruling. Homeless advocates say officials are dragging their feet on a solution.
Beeline Picante

Posted: Friday, June 8, 2012 2:00 am

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DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - It is rare when one can legitimately say that a portion of Downtown Los Angeles is unsafe. Unfortunately, that is now the case in part of Skid Row. The situation stems from the biohazards and garbage that city officials have been loathe to remove from the sidewalks for fear of legal ramifications.

The filth has gotten so bad that the county recently declared a portion of Skid Row an immediate public health risk. Some quick steps were taken, but unless this signifies the start of major and consistent change, it’s next to useless. Band-Aids won’t do the trick.

The situation has been bad for a while. The matter has also been controversial because of a judicial ruling issued last June that outlawed the clearing of property unless it could be stored for 90 days. The misguided decision by Judge Philip Gutierrez put the rights of a few homeless individuals over the rights of the greater community to have a clean, safe and hospitable neighborhood in which to live and do business.

In the past year the sidewalks have grown cluttered and sometimes impassable as police and other city officials stopped removing even abandoned items for fear they might be claimed as personal property. The mess has become a breeding ground for roaches, rats and the diseases they carry.

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