LA County Sheriff Comes To Venice, Moving Into LAPD Territory

VENICE, CA — A political battle over how to handle the homeless crisis in Venice reached a new level Tuesday as Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced that deputies would begin patrols in the area in response to poor local leadership, prompting a scathing response from Los Angeles City Councilmember Mike Bonin.

"Villanueva is exploiting Venice to spread the nefarious lie, amplified by Tucker Carlson, John & Ken, and the LAPPL, that crime and homelessness are caused by progressives and that the only fix is tougher laws, longer sentences, and more prisons," Bonin said in a long Twitter response Tuesday.

"He didn't call to offer services or housing, which would help," Bonin wrote. "He went on a PR blitz, promising his own notorious brand of justice. To anyone familiar with Villanueva and LASD, that's incredibly ominous. Any involvement from Villanueva is troubling, especially for people concerned with civil rights."

Villanueva told a group of reporters Monday that the sheriff's department would respond to the growing crisis, citing a lack of urgency from local leaders to develop an action plan. Venice is outside the sheriff's department's jurisdiction and is patrolled by the Los Angeles Police Department Pacific Division.

"The city of LA created this problem," Villanueva said. "This is a failure of leadership from the very top, all the way down. If I go there to the end of Santa Monica, at the end of Santa Monica I don't see any tents. There's no stronger argument than the division between the two sides."

Villanueva said he wants to see the encampments at Venice Beach cleared by the July 4 holiday. He also accused Bonin and Mayor Eric Garcetti of hampering the Los Angeles Police Department in its ability to do its job as it relates to such encampments.

Patch reached out to the Los Angeles Police Department for comment.

"LAPD is committed to working with all of our public safety partner agencies and elected officials to improve the safety of our communities, including efforts to increase outreach and provide needed housing and supportive services in the Venice Beach community and elsewhere," a media spokesperson from the department told Patch.

More than 200 tents and encampments have gone up at the boardwalk over the last year in the pandemic, as more fires, shootings, and attacks have plagued the area. Just last week, a security guard at a Venice skateboard and snowboard shop was stabbed by an unhoused person outside the store parking lot. Community members have donated nearly $11,000 to help him in his recovery. A street performer was attacked over the weekend on Ocean Front Walk.

"I want to see the boardwalk full of tourists," Villanueva said. "I want to see the boardwalk full of all the wonderful people here that were selling their crafts that Venice was known for — that's what it needs to be. This is not Venice."

(1/2) Today I visited the Venice Boardwalk again to view the failures of local politicians in regard to the homeless crisis. Tomorrow the @LASDHQ Homeless Outreach Services Team (HOST) will be assessing Venice in order to triage the crisis and develop an action plan to… pic.twitter.com/GaOhxjbnux
— Alex Villanueva (@LACoSheriff) June 7, 2021

Villaneuva isn't the only authority responding to the emergency.

Los Angeles City Councilmember and L.A. Mayor candidate Joe Buscaino, who represents the city's 15th District and San Pedro community, called on efforts to eliminate homeless housing during a press conference early Monday. His event was interrupted when an unhoused woman armed with a knife got near him mid-speech. The candidate fled for safety, and an LAPD captain getting lacerations on his hands from the weapon during the struggle.

"I am grateful for my safety, the safety of the public, and the quick action of the Los Angeles Police Department," Buscaino said. "This is exactly why I was in Venice Beach today, charting a new course for our city, and I am convinced now, more than ever, that bold action is needed to make our city safer for everyone, regardless of housing status."

Buscaino announced on March 15 that he will run for mayor in 2022. The 46-year-old former police officer, who represents the 15th Council District, said he will focus his campaign on quality of life through improving public safety and addressing homelessness.

Before leaving Venice and the press conference, Buscaino said he wanted to eliminate LAHSA, a city and county service that helps unhoused people, build housing faster and cut red tape, and enforce a ban on encampments at beaches, parks and sidewalks. Buscaino has been critical of moves to create "safe camping" and last month voted against a motion, which ultimately passed, to create a feasibility study to consider adding more shelters and other housing alternatives to the Westside.

Bonin has proposed to add more homeless shelters, including "tiny homes" and "safe camping" sites in areas such as Los Angeles International Airport, Marina del Rey and Pacific Palisades.

Bonin shared his response to what happened Monday morning via Twitter.

"Look who visited Venice today, joining with people who have sued, appealed or protested to stop housing and shelter on the Westside. Since he is opposing even studying housing here, did anyone catch if he said how many unhoused people from Venice we can house in San Pedro?"

Look who visited Venice today, joining with people who have sued, appealed or protested to stop housing and shelter on the Westside. Since he is opposing even studying housing here, did anyone catch if he said how many unhoused people from Venice we can house in San Pedro? https://t.co/M1dENB8SHA
— Mike Bonin (@mikebonin) June 7, 2021

- City News Service and Patch Editor Nicole Charky contributed to this report.

Editor's Note: This story was updated at 11:54 a.m. with a statement from LAPD.

SEE MORE:

• Man Slits Throat With Razor At Santa Monica Church Coffee Shop
• Fundraiser For Security Guard Stabbed In Venice Raises Over $10K
• Woman With Knife Arrested; LA Mayor Candidate Leaves Boardwalk