Sidewalk Fun

I was just there too. I saw one officer waiting at the corner, like she was waiting for a cue. (Snuck a good pic) Unit by unit they gathered waiting for him to be a threat after a series of complaints from vendors. By the time they he did, several units were waiting for a a show of force via lights and sirens, the procedure to quickly subdue someone. Hey, since you have back-up, use it.

wow, my friend and i were coming back from lunch when we also witnessed this event. maybe we even all saw each other at the same time and didnt even know it. crazy eh?

As a non-"whitey," the stuff I get yelled at me tends to be something along the lines of "go back to Mongolia" ...

Let's check our digital shots. We may have each other in the backgrounds.

It's about time they did something about guys like this. There is one homeless guy who screams at people constantly....and I see him virtually every day. My girlfriend is rightfully scared of him, as he has directed his screams at her on several occasions. I have often wondered why the cops just allow this guy to continue threatening people like this. It can't be because they don't notice - he's doing it every day.

I've felt that the vagrants have been much more in the faces of pedestrians in the last month - a sudden upswing in extroverted bumhavior. What do you think? Perhaps getting jumped while waiting for the cops to show after my girlfriend was mugged leads to some bias in my observations.

Do you think word on the street about a recent court ruling that nullifies the LA city ordinance that banned loitering has emboldened the homeless? It certainly hasn't helped matters.

interesting that this happens right when Eric Richardson - a future president of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council -happens to be around.

Hmmmm... so he gets to snap the shot of the guy getting arrested.

Seems to me eric is white . That is correct. But I don't know if he should be killed.

But this happens here all the time people calling me wetback etc....

I can't count how many times in jest I have called Eric a white boy and challenged him to fight in the streets.

I will be careful in the west side of dwontown if I ever see him. I will just whisper it.

just kidding. I have seen this guy too on that side of downtown and when he is walking he is yelling these things and fellow transients will always say hello , and he will respond what up even to the white guys.

Kind of like one minute he is crazy and then bam , whats up g?

Oh yeah

I forgot to put my signature.

Don Garza

founder central City East Blogger

laugh

The mood shift isn't just emotional. In February at Broadway and 5th shooting, an older man's cart tipped over and cans rolled unto the street. I helped him retrieve his inventory items back just to make sure nothing got in traffic. As he was picking up his cart, he started mumbling "...and it's that guy with the camera running his fool ass here for a month who helps me out...no one else on this street does." Then he turned to me and with a tired glare "Thanks man, you live in one of those lofts?" I replied "Yes, nearby."

"Man, do you know your gentrification is making it harder on all of us on the street..." and another homeless (or local below poverty line hotel resident ) jumps in saying "Yea , the outcome of the development is gonna dictate the region's funding for shelters.." and another jumps in. It was like some sort of street blog commentary. Valid expressive points, except they were all talking at the same time and LOUD. I felt like I walked in somone’s office hallway.

The streets are their cubicle. We’re just in it.

I know which guy you're talking about. He harassed me once before. I got out my video camera and shoved in his face and he eventually f**ked off. There is far too many mentally unstable homeless people in downtown. They’re a threat to the community and shouldn’t be allowed to roam about causing having havoc…

"They're all mad, you know . . ."

Until someone actually does something illegal they should be left alone. Being an annoyance is not against the law, this has been established many times and is part of the reason these people are on the streets instead of in hospitals.

I think you are a little weird, Sto, better put you away, too.

The quote is from Dark Side of the Moon, and he is talking about you.

By defintion, an emergency is any situation that endangers human life or property and demands immediate attention. If you see someone who is by any reasonable definition (yours) a danger to themselves or others, please do not hesitate to call 9-1-1. Often times, these people may be ill (think diabetic reaction) or experiencing some other malady where intervention is not only indicated but ultimately welcomed. The Police Officers are trained to recognize those who are in medical need and routinely summon the Paramedics as necessary. The bottom line: please never hesitate to call 9-1-1 if you believe a person is a danger to themselves or others.

Respectfully Yours in Safety and Service,

Brian Humphrey Firefighter/Specialist Public Service Officer Los Angeles Fire Department

I agree that the homeless are a problem but they are also human beings and more shared resources should be directed their way.

That's why the recent announcents by the Mayor for additional homeless services are a good thing, including opening homeless centers in places OTHER than downtown.

But "gentrification" in the area is not harmful to the homeless. More people with money in the area equals more political power in the area. And here's hoping that loft-dwellers will choose to desire to have the homeless crisis eased rather than sweeping them under the rug.

Besides, almost all of the loft conversions have been in buildings that were office buildings -- nobody ever lived in them before, so no housing for the homeless was taken off the market. (The only ones I can think of are the Rosslyn and the hotel on Eighth).

"Being an annoyance is not against the law, this has been established many times and is part of the reason these people are on the streets instead of in hospitals."

Yes, just being a annoyance is not against the law. But threatening and harassing language and behavior are definitely against the law. So is drunk and disorderly conduct. People yelling "You better get away from me whitey before I kill you" cannot be allowed on a public street.

As Brian Humphrey said above, if there is any question about anybody's safety, it is better to play it safe and report the incident.

We need higher standards all around. This has two parts. First, we need to raise our standards for public behavior. We cannot allow the wild-west, everyone-do-as-they-please atmosphere downtown to persist, as it has for too many years. But simultaneously, we need to raise our standards as a society for how we deal with the mentally-ill and drug-addicted among us. The current policy of neglect and arrest is shameful and inexcusable.

"Until someone actually does something illegal they should be left alone."

Threatening to kill someone is a felony smart guy.