Local briefs 2

2 Acre Brush Fire in LA

LA County Firefighters responded to the area of 15820 Pacific Coast Highway around 6 p.m. Monday May 21, as flames burned in medium to heavy brush. About an hour later, crews established a perimeter around the 2-acre fire.

Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Margaret Stewart said no structures were threatened and no injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire is unknown.

The small brush fire comes after another blaze in Pacific Palisades erupted May 14, and charred more than 1,100 acres.

An arson suspect was later arrested in connection with starting that fire. Nervous residents have blamed homeless encampments for the apparent increase in fires.

LAPD: LA Crime Up in 2020

The Los Angeles Police Department has released 2020 statistics for the City of LA.

LAPD HQ reports that homicides are up 22% in the City, while shootings are up a whooping 66%.

Property crimes are actually down by 9%, perhaps due to more people being at home which tends to prevent burglaries. But violent crime, says LAPD, is up 5.5%.

Fatal traffic collisions are up 31% compared to last year—the majority involve unsafe speed.

LASD Takes On Venice

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva toured Venice Beach on Wednesday, and said he would return public spaces there to residents.

Villenueva said the LASD will be “addressing homelessness“ people on the 101 away, and Venice. He says that LA “cannot build their way out of this problem“

Homeless encampments now fill much of the space on the boardwalk that used to go to vendors. Resident have complained all year on social media, saying that the number of homeless people has increased beyond what the area can handle.

Venice is in the City of Los Angeles, and the LAPD has primary responsibility for law enforcement. But the beaches are administered by the County, and the homeless are of course, also camping there, in LASD’s jurisdiction.

The sheriff also says he’ll be publishing phone numbers of LA County Supervisors and their Justice Deputies on the LASD site and encourages people to tell their supervisors not to defund LASD. He says to “flood” their phone numbers and “hammer” it in.