Police shut down Sunset Boulevard from Los Liones Drive to Pacific Coast Highway after discovering a possible explosive device on Friday, Nov. 21.
Sunset was closed in both directions as an LAPD bomb squad unit made its way to the scene and investigated the device.
The ordeal started around noon and the street was closed until after 5 p.m. before the object was determined to be non-explosive by authorities.
Rich Schmitt/Staff Photographer
A man, who was described as a transient by officers, was detained after being found with the item when authorities first arrived, said Sgt. Jeff Lovick of the LAPD.
The “pineapple grenade” as some witnesses called it was found near a bus bench adjacent to Vons.
A Problem Location
While the response was more imposing than the threat of an explosion, the incident brought to light concerns about the bus stop from nearby proprietors, patrons and employees.
Many see the location as a growing nuisance as it has become a favorite Palisades hangout for the homeless, who often gather at the site between rounds of panhandling.
The bomb scare is just one of many transient-related disturbances businesses and neighbors deal with here, said Robert Munakash, owner of the 76 Unocal station at Sunset and PCH.
As a longtime business owner and Palisadian, Munakash is familiar with several homeless people in the area. He deals with them often while running the store’s daily operations.
Although solutions to the issue can be complex, Munakash said something must be done about what is clearly becoming a problem location.
“This spot becomes like a party for the homeless,” he said. “Some of our staff feel very uncomfortable when they have to leave to take the bus.”
Munakash said he has also seen transactions that look more like drug deals than acts of charity occurring between some of the transients who gather near the bench and people in cars.
“I’m questioning what’s going on because I’ve seen the same cars more than once in one day,” Munakash said.
Munakash said he believes cutting down two to three trees at the hangout could deter groups gathering near Sunset and PCH.
What Can the Law Do?
Munakash said increased disturbances are related to an influx of transients coming from Santa Monica, where enforcement against panhandlers has become more aggressive.
Santa Monica has an ordinance, which was upheld by the California Supreme Court, restricting solicitation at locations such as bus stops, public facilities, vehicles on public streets, public parking lot structures, outdoor dining areas of restaurants and within 50 feet of bank ATMs.
The State Supreme court “found that the city’s interests in preventing harassment and intimidation in areas where people experience particular vulnerability justified the regulation imposed,” according to a report by the League of California Cities.
The report, which was introduced during the league’s annual conference in 2013, is entitled “Enforcement of Aggressive Panhandling and Local Camping and Sleeping Ordinances” and was co-authored by city attorneys from Azusa, Colton, Covina and San Luis Obispo.
In the City of L.A., the situation is different.
Homeless advocates, who say that cities are trying to criminalize poverty, helped support a lawsuit filed by some of Skid Row’s homeless against the city.
The city lost, and an injunction now prohibits the LAPD or any other city employee from seizing homeless people’s property, such as tents and other materials, even when it is seemingly abandoned.
Advocates for the homeless claimed that the items were “temporarily left on public sidewalks while they attended to necessary tasks such as eating, showering and using restrooms.” They also said ownership is defined by possession and for many individuals, this material is their home.
The Ninth Circuit Court found that the city had violated the rights of the group of Skid Row transients by seizing and destroying their possessions.
Unless there is an immediate threat, the injunction requires seized property stored in a secure place for no less than 90 days before city authorities can legally destroy it.
The process is very costly for the city, according to officials.
Warehouses donated by businesses near Skid Row have been filled and city officials are overwhelmed with the amount of stuff they have to keep.
Looking for Solutions
Norman Kulla, senior lead counsel to Councilmember Mike Bonin, said during a report to the Santa Monica Canyon Civic Association that the Palisades has never participated in the two-year homeless count.
Kulla said the count is critical because it will help get resources to professionals out in the field.
The count, part of an effort with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, can help the city secure millions of dollars in federal funding for homeless services.
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority needed at least 6,000 volunteers as of Sunday, Nov. 23, to help count more than 54,000 homeless individuals in Los Angeles County and the city, where nearly half of these individuals reside.
As for safety, LAPD Senior Lead Officer Michael Moore said that the police department is going to gather data that will be used by professionals to identify those who are on parole and in violation.
“We will address them from the criminal law perspective,” Moore said. But being homeless is not against the law, he added.
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