L.A.P.D. Senior Lead Officer from skid row...

L.A.P.D. has a blog!
http://lapdblog.typepad.com/lapd_blog/editorials/index.html

From March 02, 2007 Senior Lead Officer Deon Joseph writes...

ACTION vs. ACTIVISM

.......Senior Lead Officer Deon Joseph. As you know, I am the Liaison between the homeless community and LAPD Central Community Police Station. As Safer Cities rolls along, I must say that I am proud of what we have accomplished thus far.

As our efforts spread throughout the skid row area, it appears that my desire of a crime free environment for the homeless, business, and service communities is becoming a reality. As a police officer, there were many days when I felt that real change in this community would never come to pass. I never really felt that people outside of this station cared like I did about the people of skid row. But now with the right leadership in place here, we are making what was once said to be impossible, possible.

As I walk the streets of my area, it pleases me to see less homeless and mentally ill individuals wandering the streets with black eyes, and swollen cheeks. Fewer individuals are running to my patrol vehicle pleading for assistance after being brutalized by gang members, and other criminals within the midst of the homeless community......

Officer Joseph also mentions the social service groups and not in a positive light. Perhaps he knows more about this problem first hand. We in Venice have been suspecting this for a long time, it's just logical social services need money and donations ...... well you read it

As I stated, there are people who profit from keeping people broke, uneducated and high. I truly believe that this group and groups like it do not want crime and lawlessness in skid row to stop because it does not benefit them. The reason why is simple. These groups are funded via private donations. If there is no one on the street overdosing, defecating, or prostituting in tents, it becomes harder for them to go to their donors and beg for money using sob stories of how they need funding to stop homelessness.

Read the whole article here: http://lapdblog.typepad.com/lapd_blog/2007/week9/index.html