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Sheriff Alex Villanueva of the LA County Sheriff's Department is done waiting for the LAPD to clean up Venice Beach, and he's taking matters into his own hands.
His goal is to clear out the homeless from Venice by July 4th; leaving less than a month for him to put action to his words. Even though the city of Venice does not fall into the jurisdiction of the LA County Sheriff's Department, Villanueva announced on Monday that the homelessness crisis within the City of Los Angeles evoked him to take action targeting the famous Venice Beach boardwalk.
Even though he did not directly call out the LAPD, he did mention during an interview with CBS2,
"I think they [LAPD] can definitely do the job. They’re more than capable, have good leadership. However, if they’re hamstrung by politicians that don’t want them to do their job, well then they’re left in a very, very bad situation.”
The homeless situation along the Venice Beach Boardwalk has gotten worse by the day and residents are urging officials to clean up the mess they created allowing the homeless to camp out anywhere they'd like.
When asked about what has been stalling the entire process to clear the homeless from Venice, Villanueva told NBCLA:
“I think they can definitely do the job. They’re more than capable, have good leadership. However, if they’re hamstrung by politicians that don’t want them to do their job, well then they’re left in a very, very bad situation.”
Villanueva plans on starting to clear out the encampments this week and has gained the support of residents, business owners, and stakeholders of Venice. Though most are optimistic about the Sheriff's Department taking action, many do not think Villanueva will be able to follow through with his plan to clear the homeless by July 4th.