Homeless encampments at Los Angeles' Dockweiler State Beach were dismantled Thursday in a cleanup sweep following complaints from neighbors about health and safety risks.
The cleanup started at about 7 a.m. and continued into the afternoon. City crews worked their way down the beach just west of Los Angeles International Airport and El Segundo. Dump trucks were filled with trash, tents, clothes and other items.
Notification signs were posted ahead of the sweep, which followed complaints from neighbors about health and safety hazards. Some were concerned one cleanup might not be enough.
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"What I see is a Band-aid," said Lucy Han, co-founder of the community nonprofit Friends of the Jungle. "The city is going to come out, and they have given notice to people in the encampment that they will come cleaning, but that still means they can come back. So, they will gather their things, leave whatever trash they don’t want, go to the next block, then come back the next day."
Councilmember Traci Park, whose district includes the area, said the encampment continued to grow due to jurisdictional issues. The beach is state property, but lies within Parks' Council District 11.
She said she agrees with residents that the encampments will return, unless the city receives assistance from the state and county to enforce camping bans.
Assistance services were offered to people living in the encampment. It was not immediately clear how many people accepted the offer.
