Neighbors raise public safety concerns along Western Avenue amid encampments, prostitution

LOS ANGELES - Neighbors and business owners along Western Avenue in Los Angeles say growing encampments, crime, and prostitution are creating ongoing public safety concerns, leaving some residents afraid to walk by and businesses worried about their future.

FOX 11 visited the area near Oakwood Avenue, where tents line sidewalks and spill into the street. Several residents said conditions have deteriorated to the point where fear is now part of everyday life.

What they're saying:

One man living on the street acknowledged those concerns.

"I think they’re right," he said when asked about people calling the situation a nuisance. "What am I going to say? They’re right. We shouldn’t be living like this."

The encampments include tents reinforced with plywood, furniture, roaming pets and what appears to be a makeshift kitchen. The area sits just a half block from the intersection of Oakwood and Western — a location neighbors describe as plagued by gang violence, drug use and vandalism.

Dylan Kendall, a candidate for Los Angeles City Council District 13, said a nearby business owner has repeatedly dealt with vandalism over the years.

"They kept tagging the side of her walls — she’d paint over it," Kendall said. "They acid-etched her windows. She replaced them, and the next day they came back and acid-etched them again."

Kendall said the business owner, who has operated in the area for nearly two decades, was too afraid of retaliation to speak on camera.  According to Kendall, the owner has recently complained of almost nightly prostitution near her storefront.

"When she gets here at 8 in the morning, there are literally — in her words — naked girls standing on Oakwood in front of her shop," Kendall said.

Dig deeper:

FOX 11 first exposed prostitution concerns in the area two weeks ago in nearby Larchmont, about four blocks away. That report documented used condoms and sex acts occurring outside homes, including one resident who said a couple was having sex on a bench outside their house.

Not all neighbors share the same concerns. PJ Yurman, who lives nearby, said his experience has been different.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Larchmont residents complain of alleged 'nighttime prostitution' activities outside homes

"There are definitely safer areas, maybe feeling-wise, when you walk out the door," Yurman said. "I’ve lived here four-and-a-half years and never had a problem."

People living in the encampments told FOX 11 they prefer staying on the street rather than moving into shelters offered through city programs.

"I feel safer out here," one man said. "We take care of each other."

Another person living at the encampment criticized shelters, saying, "They put anybody in there. They don’t care about people’s lives or the risks."

In a statement previously provided to FOX 11, Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez said the city has launched a new effort to address the situation along Western Avenue.

"We recently launched a new cross-agency task force on Western Avenue to address human trafficking head-on," Soto-Martinez said. "As part of this work with the City Attorney and law enforcement, we’re partnering with Journey Out, an organization that specializes in rescuing young women and girls being trafficked to provide survivor-centered support and permanent solutions to these issues."

Residents in the area say they are now watching closely to see whether the task force brings visible enforcement, services and long-term change.