Los Angeles police wiped out an encampment of homeless people near the Staples Center on Saturday. Police had used a bulldozer to clear the camp in late December, but some homeless people moved around the corner, where they’ve been living on a sidewalk beneath a freeway overpass.
Police warned residents last week of the sweep. Still, about 20 stood by their tents and grocery carts Saturday. It was either be arrested, move somewhere else, or accept help from county social workers.
The sweep is part of a renewed effort by the police to prevent the homeless from taking over parts of the city. Los Angeles County has an estimated 84,000 homeless, and there usually is room in shelters most nights.
Link: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-sweep11jan11,1,4029849.story?coll=la-headlines-california