As writers, we often cover events around the country and around the world—Joe Biden said something incomprehensible, another train derailed in the Midwest, one more horrific crime occurred in San Francisco. But one of the reasons I’m passionate about the rising lawlessness in our country is because not everything I read about is far away—all too often it’s literally happening right on the street where I live.
Case in point: my little neck of the woods in Southern California has become infected with the same crime, homelessness, and anarchy that is plaguing so many other formerly great American cities. My ‘hood isn’t Beverly Hills, and no Kardashians or billionaires live nearby, but it’s a nice slice of life where people have worked hard to buy homes, put down their roots, and create a community.
That community is now under threat from a phalanx of dilapidated RVs which park willy-nilly by the local park and on side streets in front of homes. What’s going on inside them is anybody’s guess—but chances are, it’s nothing good.
In March, one of these RVs exploded and became engulfed in a huge inferno—right outside houses where families and kids reside. Watch this jaw-dropping report from Fox 11 Los Angeles:
What was at fault in the blast? Propane tanks, lots of them. Who would need that many? Meth manufacturers.
No injuries were reported in the fire, but residents in the area are blaming the RV and homeless encampment for the recent explosion. The encampment had also been blamed for reported shootings and suspected drug deals and neighbors in the area say they feel under siege. [Emphasis mine.]
Yes, we do feel under siege—because we are—and the authorities are unable to do anything about it. One of these RVs parked right outside my house last year, and it was battered and filthy. Did I feel safe going to bed at night, with my wife and kids in the house? No, I certainly did not. But when we called police they said there was nothing they could do.
I wonder why gun sales are up?
Luckily the occupants moved on after three tense days. Here are photos I took of a few of the lovely beasts still parked nearby:
Adding to the problem is the recent addition of a “tiny homes” homeless installation just a short distance away. Says a resident:
“When the shelter village across the way was sold to us by Councilman [Paul] Krekorian, it was sold to us. As we’re going to this – this is what will be needed so that we can help these people get off the streets,” said Walter Hall, a resident.
Obviously, that hasn’t worked out so well. Krekorian insists his office is trying to help, but also admitted there wasn’t sufficient police power to adequately patrol the neighborhood:
“The encampment by Laurel Grove Park has been a major concern of this office for many months. It is now scheduled for weekly cleanup by L.A. Sanitation and for weekly outreach by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). Outreach workers offer assistance with interim housing and other services to the occupants of this site.
Unfortunately, at the present time, the LAPD North Hollywood Division does not have sufficient staff for daily enforcement at this location.” [Emphasis mine.]
The obvious question is: why the hell not? Californians pay some of the highest taxes in the nation, yet Governor Gavin Newsom has somehow spent us into at least a $22 billion deficit and we can’t even keep our neighborhoods safe? And before you tell me to move, realize that it’s not just California—it’s Portland, Austin, Seattle, Philadelphia, and even Denver that are experiencing these problems.
After tenacious reporter Christina Gonzalez and anchors Marla Tellez and Elex Michaelson of Fox 11 LA highlighted the issue, LA Sanitation, homeless outreach, and LAPD rushed to play cleanup.
“We are working the problem of narcotic sales here and we make arrests regularly,” said LAPD Valley Bureau Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton. “We work effectively with the city attorney and district attorney, we do file some of these cases, we do recover firearms from some of these individuals that are dealing narcotics.”
While we thank the LAPD for showing up, let’s be real—it’s because Fox 11 called out the problem (which we thank them for). But what about all the countless other sites like this where authorities ignore residents’ pleas for help? Unless it’s televised, unfortunately, it didn’t happen.
Worse still, many of the RV residents have no intention of leaving or accepting help:
“They want them to give up everything they got and go stay in a little box,” says one. “And those little box things ain’t as good as people think it is.”
As reporters, we often pick our lane, and one of mine has been the devastation that our cities have suffered from the “defund the police” movement, the lowering of many crimes in some states from felonies to misdemeanors, and the removal of cash bail requirements that have turned the justice system in many blue cities into revolving doors of criminality.
Am I exaggerating, trying to create controversy just so I can get a few clicks? Nope. An RV just exploded down the street, and meth dealers are wandering around unfettered in a neighborhood where the median home price is $852K.
‘Nuff said.
If you wonder why I would focus on such things, it’s because I care about some of the amazing cities I’ve been lucky enough to have lived in—Boston, NYC, Chicago, and Los Angeles—and am sad to see their decline.
It’s also because progressives’ designed chaos is happening literally right outside my freaking door.