Athens Way is a street which runs north & south along Union Pacific Railroad property in the Unincorporated LA County area. It's so confusing that the area identifies as one of three neighborhoods West Rancho Dominguez/Gardena/Los Angeles. To make it more fun, the roadway (on the west side) is shared by the County, the Railroad and an Energy Company. It was the very first location that caught my attention due to all the problems.
We had been working with Mark Ridley Thomas on trying to get resources to clean up this forgotten area. For nearly 2 years, we tried to get the area cleaned up and address the community concerns. Fires, shootings, stolen vehicles and a large amount of homeless called this area home. In December, the area was cleaned and everyone was offered services. We worked hard to get the county involved and address the overlapping jurisdictions.
For months, we begged the Supervisor's office to help us create a plan to avoid the homeless from returning to the area. Several businesses offered to fence the area, bring in concrete rails, add cameras, new lighting and replace the gated entrance. However, we were unable to get any traction.
Two illegal dumps by the same individual has now create a very concerning situation. The actions of one man who decided to "DONATE" used construction materials from a job site on two separate days has now created a new homeless encampment stretching 3 blocks. He was visited this afternoon by law enforcement at his home and received a citation. It is still unclear what the next steps are in the legal process. However, we are hopeful this will move forward.
A special Thank You to Sheriff Luna, Captain Torres from Century Sheriff and all the deputies that have assisted us with the illegal dumping crime report.
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