For three years, we have patrolled the large vacant commercial property which is in a state of limbo as neighborhood residents and the properties' owners debate its future. For the most part, our tours had been uneventful. We did have an odd gnome who haunted the one of the buildings on a regular basis. His name was Don, and he liked to wander the corridors of the building and talk to himself. We considered him more of a nuisance than a criminal.
Don was mild mannered in contrast to the posse of a dozen or so men who descended on the property in late March. They used bolt cutters to slice off our padlocks and installed their own. Although we had detected their presence early, there was little we could do to keep them out.
We contacted SLO Art Gallegos of LAPD Wilshire Division. We had met Officer Gallegos at the property back in February. He walked us through the paperwork for the No Trespass Authorization which allows us to arrest persons for trespass on the property. He also recommended the grounds be thoroughly cleared of overgrown shrubbery and debris.
Once all of these steps were completed, the owners of the property made the decision to top the walls and fencing with coiled barbed wire. This was not an easy decision to reach. The owners were reluctant to install barbed wire in a mixed use neighborhood in such close proximity to homes. However, there was no other choice. Of the nine men Gallegos and his officers identified in one afternoon sweep, four were taken into custody for parole violations. During the clean up operation there were dozens of spent hypodermic syringes scattered about the rooms of the building where the men had camped.
Clearly, the owners of the property chose to do what was in the best interests of the communities' safety.
DW
