An apparently homeless man was found in the basement of the house at 1039 N. Spaulding Ave. where a fire occurred yesterday morning.
Lt. David Smith of the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station said it remains unclear what caused the fire at the house, which he described as a “packrat place.” The homeless man was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he remains in critical condition. Smith said the city’s Code Compliance office will investigate conditions in the house. Firefighters arrived quickly and extinguished the fire.
The incident is one of a number on the city’s Eastside that have raised concerns among residents about the homeless population there. Smith told the city’s Public Safety Commission last night that the Sheriff’s Station has increased its foot patrols from one night to two nights on the Eastside. Each foot patrol consists of two officers, although Smith acknowledged that it isn’t always possible for the station to find officers willing to work overtime to staff the patrols.
Smith attributed the large increase in petty thefts this past July over July 2014 (from 18 to 34 incidents, an increase of 89 percent), in part to the presence of homeless people at the Gateway, the shopping plaza on the southwest corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and La Brea. He said the Sheriff’s Station also was been working with the owner of the McDonald’s restaurant on La Brea to reduce the presence of homeless people there. Another factor in the increase, he said, was the passage in November 2014 of Proposition 47, which reduced many low-level theft and drug possession crimes from felonies to misdemeanors such as petty theft. Petty theft is defined as the theft of property worth $950 or less.
Larry, you are a hero! What we see more and more are the few single family homes in the mid city and east side that are two, three in a row between blocks of 3, 4, 5, 6 story buildings. Often these buildings are not historic and have been in families for generations. When the “kids” decide to sell, the tenants who are paying $4,000-$6,0000 a month move to a new house. But, assemblage of the lots permits scaled developments with 4-10 permanently affordable units. So our community ultimately benefits. We get new buildings that are in keeping with the… Read more »
Hi, Chis. First off, YES.There are still single-family houses in West Hollywood, although we’re losing them quickly. This building, constructed in the 1920’s, has something called a “shed basement.” It’s a dirt-floor area under the house, deep enough so you can upright, and generally contains things like the furnace and hot water heater. The door leading to it is slanted. A slightly larger opening would have 2 doors, opening like a book. We’re not talking about your mid-West storm cellar, or an East Coast rec room – just a utilitarian space accessible ONLY from the outside. The home owner wouldn’t… Read more »
@Dark Angel, you’re missing my point. I am quite aware you can not force any employee to work overtime. My point is, it seems to me, there are hundreds of officers available for overtime when the detail/job is minding traffic at events, or being in a riot defense line. Opposed to working a shift on patrol in the neighborhoods. The next big event, i.e. presidential visit, concert in the streets, festivals etc, look at the patrol! Most are doing nothing and are being paid OVERTIME! I was merely stating that the management should have some structure on who is eligible… Read more »
Wait – there’s a house in West Hollywood with a basement?
Z, and Randy, I’ve done few ride along with different deputies and different shift, not only Weho, but entire county is short on staff!! When there’s a bigger events, deputies from entire LA County comes to work. When you have overtime everyday and every shift, most deputies are either working, or off!! I asked the same question during coffee with captain and I was told that deputies cannot work more than certain hours and days at a time. It violates some policy set by state.
No matter what job you look at, you can’t force someone to work overtime!!
Z, well put.
Or find someone who is willing to work those hours (i.e., transfer from another station, etc.). That is not an excuse that should ever be given to the public, and it think it goes to show that the attitude by a lot of the people at the WeHo station is that they want a cushy assignment (as compared to a lot of other stations they could be assigned to).
Large events are not just staffed by deputies from the West Hollywood Station, they come in from all over the county. Forced overtime hurts moral while voluntary does not. Being homeless is no longer a crime but many of the activities they engage in are a crime. Harass them back into Hollywood like they did the male hustlers.
The house where this fire occurred belongs to my neighbors. They have lived in this house for over 60 years. Anyone who stays at the same place for this long accumulates a lot of stuff. They have a bit of work to do to repair their after the fire, and I’m certain the place will be cleaner when everything is done. I want to emphasize that the condition of the home had NOTHING to do with the fire. A person invaded their property, barricaded himself in space under the house and set it on fire. The family was lucky to… Read more »
“Each foot patrol consists of two officers, although Smith acknowledged that it isn’t always possible for the station to find officers willing to work overtime to staff the patrols.” This is complete HOGWASH! All of the special event, road closures etc, there are hundreds of officers out there on OVERTIME PAY! To say there are NO officers willing to work patrol on overtime is ridiculous! Learn how to manage your staff! Either they work when you NEED them to, or they are not qualified to work overtime when there are special events and such where the duties of the officers… Read more »