Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva called out several political rivals during a press conference on Wednesday and urged elected officials to declare the homeless crisis in the region a local state of emergency.
Villanueva defended his plan to clear encampments lining the famous Venice Beach boardwalk by July 4, and described the situation there as “a microcosm of what’s going on throughout the entire county of Los Angeles.” However, several activist groups and progressive politicians have condemned his strategy, which Villanueva says is based on the concept of “regulating public space.”
.png)
.png)
