Major

In Attempt to Clean Up Homeless Encampments, Crews Get to Work on Downtown LA Streets

A cleanup took place Monday in the downtown Civic Center area and people living on the street were told to remove all personal belongings from the street, according to a flyer posted by the Los Angeles City Sanitation Department.

The cleanup around LA City Hall and the nearby area was scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. Monday, according to the flyer posted on light poles by the Sanitation Department.

The area targeted includes a block on First Street between Broadway and Spring Street where at least 15 tents have been put up by homeless people occupying the sidewalk in front of a fenced-in empty lot next to a portion of Grand Park that is used for parking during scheduled events.

The flyers were posted across the street from the homeless encampment and around City Hall.

The flyer states a "Major Cleaning" will take place that "Includes sidewalks, alleys, parks, beach, parking lots and other public access areas."

The notice directed people to "remove all personal belongings, including bulky items by 8 a.m." Otherwise, "all property remaining will be removed by the city. Property left behind, except for items that pose an immediate threat to public health or safety, trash and evidence of a crime or contraband will be collected by the city and kept in a secure location for a period of 90 days."

The flyer also directed people whose property was collected to contact 213-806-6355 for retrieval. The property will be held at 507 Towne Ave., according to the Sanitation Department's flyer.

No one from the Sanitation Department was available to answer questions Sunday about this clean-up. So it's unclear what total geographical area is involved in the cleanup, or if this was an event tied to the July 4 block party scheduled in the Civic Center or simply an effort at moving out the homeless living near City Hall.

Copyright CNS - City News Service
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