We implemented it here with great success.

Last edited Wed Jan 23, 2013, 08:04 PM - Edit history (1)

Here in LA we have a business lobby called the CCA who gentrify downtown areas into pricey rentals. They've forced out the homeless before (accurately depicted in the book and film "The Soloist&quot and have their sights upon the current Skid Row area. CCA brag on their web site about their influence in City Hall, their ability to get clients' interests passed into law. They strongly support the "safer cities intiative" based upon "broken windows". They've managed to get $6,000,000 worth of police assigned to Skid Row, and I can tell you I've never seen so many cops in any single area in my life. "Safer Cities" includes laws making it illegal for the homeless to have tents and housing "up" during the day, and their right to have any safe area at night, and to not immediately have their property immediately snatched by cops (as they used to do), were hard-won rights done in court. CCA and the city of LA are always busy attempting to have these pro-homeless rights rulings overturned. Note that only $4,700,000 is spent yearly in the entire city of LA on homeless services. CCA are using taxpayer dollars to snatch property and take rental money, doing what they have to, to remove the homeless in their way through "broken windows".

This article includes video of the area police captain threatening to arrest a homeless man for not having his tent fully down during the day, a BW/SCI effect. LA Times are quick to report arrests for crime on Skid Row, but never mention much of it is nuisance arrests designed to drive away the homeless. The lie through omission cuts deep. This article also contains a pic of CCA's private police, whose depth and power they seek to increase in conjunction with the establishment of the stadium proposed and partially funded through the mayor's reallocation of homeless services monies to the tune of $1,000,000. And this specifically mentions Bratton's involvement. He's harmed LA enough, keep him the hell out of other cities!

http://occupyobservations.blogspot.com/2012/06/carol-schatz-of-cca-and-their-outright.html


This is a terribly incomplete article meant to be about the entire issue in LA and how it harms us. Much of it contains bookmarks not yet updated, to previously posted items. Found therein:

Activists, who accuse police of a political agenda in skid row cleanup, plan another chalking protest.

Video of the local police commander threatening a homeless person with arrest for not having his tent fully down during the day, which is part of the application of "broken windows" in LA, and which creates a pipeline from the streets to the prison system (sheriff Baca wants $2 billion to build two new prisons, not for helping the poor).

Police chief Beck and mayor villaraigosa on video discussing the "criminal behavior" involved in anyone using childrens' water-soluble sidewalk chalk. This, after LAPD (led by the area commander seen on this page threatening to arrest a homeless man) arrested multiple Artwalk participants for using it, even to write "I (heart) LAPD", and later showing up in riot gear and tasering and shooting rubber bullets at the crowd who had become irate over the ludicrous arrests. Note that CCA say in their future plans PDF that they will eliminate "intelligence-based graffiti" downtown. This must be what they mean.

http://occupyobservations.blogspot.com/2012/09/occupy-skid-row-is-gone-la-times-lies.html



It involves police departments, who are now tentacles of DHS, so there is Federal involvement:

http://occupyobservations.blogspot.com/2013/01/how-lapd-are-made-into-tentacle-of-dhs.html



"Broken windows" should be used against police brutality, not our weak and vulnerable:

http://occupyobservations.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-broken-windows-theory-for-cops.html

The city started with the support system for the homeless and worked their way up. One key part of the plan was mixed housing. Another was a way to report grafitti and get ti cleaned up. They even issued kits to do it yourself.

there was a very positive study called Project 50, listed at the links, which provided long-term housing and care for 50 of the worst-off Skid Row residents, even those still currently addicted, with excellent personal and financial results. Such things exist here, but are deflected by the business lobbyists.