Skid Row in Downtown Los Angeles needs more public toilets (Santa Monica: crime, lawyers)

[General Jeff]

Skid Row in Downtown Los Angeles is known as "the homeless capitol of America". It is ironic that Los Angeles is also known as "the entertainment capitol of America".

Earlier this year (May 2012), the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued a 32-page health report regarding the unsanitary conditions in Skid Row. The report determined that there were abnormally high concentrations of Human feces and urine, hypodermic needles and rat infestations in public areas throughout this 50-block neighborhood.

LA County Department of Public Health recommendations included more public toilets, BUT the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) replied to this by stating that "port-a-potty's" were used in the past and became "negative crime hubs" used for prostitution, drug usage spots as well as other problems.

So, then, how can the public health issues in Skid Row be addressed?

A recent news article on this topic;

[url=http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/skid-row-s-toilet-travails/article_7464c40c-342a-11e2-8efa-0019bb2963f4.html]Skid Row[/url]

[Charles]

Originally Posted by General Jeff

So, then, how can the public health issues in Skid Row be addressed?

1. Don't go to skid row.
2. Spray chemicals in areas known to be filthy and unhealthful
3. Enforce the laws; Anyone caught defecating in public shall be arrested, ticketed, or fined - whatever the law dictates.
4. Homeless who disobey the law (or any other criminal) should be sent to work camps.

[yamota]

they should just be thankful they live in LA, not freezing their butts off on a subway grate in Chicago or New York; if you're gonna be homeless, LA's the place to do it

[JohnG72]

Public restrooms or not won't solve anything.

Police are right, the restrooms are used to shoot up. People that have to use the restroom for its intended purpose are not able to. Often there is a line of 5 or more people waiting to use the one at the 5th/Hill Metro stop.

The conditions that exist on Skid Row are only that way because Mayor Villaraigosa and the City Council won't take the steps necessary to end those conditions. The "public health" conditions cannot be addressed until there is no longer a sub environment that is conducive to drug addicts and criminals.

In other words, stop making it a place that people WANT to live in.

[nightlysparrow]

Well, they already have a special Court for them:

Homeless Court

[Mike121]

The problem is the privacy that toilets provide. Portland and London both have moved to toilet designs that have no privacy on purpose.

Why Portland's Public Toilets Succeeded Where Others Failed - Design - The Atlantic Cities#

The Outdoor Urinals of Soho, London

[Exitus Acta Probat]

Originally Posted by General Jeff

Skid Row in Downtown Los Angeles is known as "the homeless capitol of America". It is ironic that Los Angeles is also known as "the entertainment capitol of America".

Shhhhhh!!!! The last thing we need on television is a reality show consisting of homeless people.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by Exitus Acta Probat

Shhhhhh!!!! The last thing we need on television is a reality show consisting of homeless people.

'Twould be infinitely better than 'Housewives of _______' or any Kardashian crap. Gotta put it on cable and let the peeps speak freely. Just do it a bit better justice than Bum Fights.

[Cream1]

No thanks Jeff LOL

[HarryKerryJr]

And when the agencies move in to enforce health codes and trash codes and no urinating in public codes, all the "homeless advocates" and ACLU (who have strayed from their purpose) do everything to stop it and do nothing to improve conditions there. If those "advocates" and just a few of those ACLU lawyers would each pick-up a shovel and pick-up the excrement and actually interact with the "homeless" often mentally ill, they would be doing such a service and have an immediate impact as to greatly improve conditions there for those who choose or have no choice but to be in Skid Row. But, of course, the ACLU lawyers all live in Santa Monica and shop and play as the affluent. As for the "advocates," I can't quite figure them out just yet, other than they don't pick up shovels and immediately solve the immediate health issue, either.