October 23, 2024 at 3:00 a.m. Pacific Time
To the Editor: Steve Lopez’s reporting on the massacre at MacArthur Park, west of downtown Los Angeles, is important.
If the area surrounding the park is the “Ellis Island of the West Coast,” as City Councilmember Eunice Hernandez claims, why is MacArthur Park able to, and does, effectively terrorize these immigrants? Was it handed over to a group of people who would give it? When immigrant children cannot safely access public parks, it is up to city council members to take steps to correct these dangerous conditions.
Hernandez, who took office on the City Council about two years ago, argues that “other people have waited too long to do something about it.” This position is comparable to “The dog ate my homework.”
Leaders such as Mr Hernandez and Mayor Karen Bass need to recognize that tolerating anti-social and criminal behavior should not be accepted as part of support programmes. A photo of a street camper lying down with a 24-ounce can of beer clearly reflects the situation local residents have been forced to accept.
Lee Meister (San Pedro)
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To the Editor: Unfortunately, Councilman Hernandez’s proposed “waste reduction” and “peace ambassadors” proposals to address the crisis around MacArthur Park would be laughable if the situation were not so dire.
This city clearly has a widespread street drug problem. Why are the police sitting idle when the neighborhood is visibly deteriorating? Why don’t they enforce existing laws? Is this city policy, Mayor Bass?
The city should adopt López’s excellent proposal, temporarily redirecting existing resources from other departments to quadruple the effort and enforcing existing laws to eliminate dangerous open-air drug bazaars on the streets and in homeless encampments. should be wiped out.
This will be a good practical start in the right direction.
Mary M. Emmons, Los Angeles
