EL SEGUNDO HERALD June 14, 2018 Page 3
Homeless Count
Has Silver Lining Comment on
Kathy Benudiz’s letter
Without examining the specific content of
Ms Benudiz’s letter, she makes a common
fundamental error. The First Amendment
and “freedom of speech” have nothing
to do with the Herald. Amendments are
restrictions only on government activities.
Freedom of speech does not mean you
can express what you want, where you
want, when you want. Privately owned
publications may censor as they wish. There
are many outlets to get your views published.
No private space or medium is required to
be balanced.
Whether or not this is a good policy I shall
leave to others.
– Bill Daugherty •
Letters
Police Reports
Thursday, May 31
One male adult was arrested at 0046 hours
from the 1600 block of Manhattan Beach Boulevard
in Manhattan Beach for one outstanding
El Segundo PD misdemeanor warrant.
A missing person report was taken at 1457
hours from the 600 block of Main Street. A
female juvenile was reported as missing.
Traffic accident (with injuries) occurred at
1738 hours in the intersection of Pine Avenue
and Sierra Street, vehicle versus vehicle.
Friday, June 1
A traffic accident (no injuries) occurred at
1403 hours in the 1400 block of East Palm
Avenue, truck versus a pole.
An identity theft report was taken at 1608
hours from the 1200 block of East Oak
Avenue. Unknown suspect(s) fraudulently
opened a bank account in the victim’s name
and transferred funds.
Grand theft auto occurred between 1700 hours
and 1821 hours in the 1600 block of East Maple
Avenue. A 1996 Honda Accord was taken.
Saturday, June 2
A petty theft report was taken at 0248 hours
from the 800 block of South Douglas Street.
Taken was a Samsung tablet.
An extortion report was taken at 0850 hours
from the 700 block of West Mariposa Avenue.
Unknown suspect(s) attempted to coerce the
victim, using fear, into providing the victim’s
banking information.
A traffic accident (with injuries) occurred
at 1509 hours in the intersection of Maple Avenue
and Sepulveda Boulevard, three vehicles
involved.
Sunday, June 3
One female adult was arrested at 0112 hours
from Grand Avenue and Richmond Street for
misdemeanor DUI with a BAC of 0.08 percent
or above.
One male adult was arrested at 0215 hours
from El Segundo Boulevard and Sepulveda
Boulevard for misdemeanor DUI and one
outstanding LASD misdemeanor warrant.
A lost property report was taken at 1225
hours from the 400 block of North Sepulveda
Boulevard. Lost was a Hong Kong passport.
Monday, June 4
An illegal dumping report was taken at
1033 hours from the 400 block of Concord
Street. Unknown suspect(s) dumped human
waste in the alley.
A grand theft report was taken at 1335 hours
from the 400 block of East Walnut Avenue. Taken
was an engagement ring and wedding band.
A vandalism report was taken at 1642 hours
from the 600 block of West Imperial Avenue.
Unknown suspect(s) keyed the victim’s vehicle.
A traffic accident (injuries) occurred at 1802
hours from Main Street and Pine Avenue.
Vehicle versus pedestrian.
A grand theft report was taken at 1843
hours from the 2000 block of East Imperial
Highway. Unknown suspect(s) stole $2,450
worth of victim’s property.
Tuesday, June 5
A burglary (residential) report was taken
at 1225 hours from the 600 block of Virginia
Street. Unknown suspect(s) pried open the
front door and mailbox.
A petty theft report was taken at 1326 hours
from the 600 block of Main Street. Taken
was an iPad.
A robbery report was taken at 1254 hours
from the 400 block of North Pacific Coast
Highway. Unknown suspects used a handgun
to rob the victim of his car key, $2,000 U.S.
dollars, and miscellaneous property.
One female adult was arrested at 2256 hours
from Rosecrans Avenue and Aviation Boulevard
for identity theft, grand theft auto, false identification
to a peace officer, possession of a controlled
substance, possession of drug paraphernalia
and one outstanding felony LASD warrant.
One male adult was arrested at 2256 hours
from Rosecrans Avenue and Aviation Boulevard
for identity theft, forging official seal and possession
of a controlled substance.
Wednesday, June 6
A vandalism report was taken at 0849 hours
from the 400 block of East Imperial Avenue.
A vandalism report was taken at 0905 hours
from the 200 block of Center Street.
One male adult was arrested at 0921 hours
from the 500 block of North Pacific Coast
Highway for public intoxication.
A property report was taken at 1515 hours
from the 700 block of Hillcrest Street. A firearm
was turned in to be destroyed.
Battery occurred at 1540 hours from the
400 block of Main Street. A known suspect
punched the victim in the face with a closed fist.
A dog bite report was taken at 1727 hours
from the 200 block of Concord Street.
An annoying/threatening phone calls report
was taken at 1930 hours from the 500 block
of Penn Street.
Attempt burglary (residential) occurred at
1845 hours from the 1100 block of Pine Avenue.
Two female suspects smashed a window of the
victim’s residence in an attempt to make entry. •
Burkley Brandlin
Swatik & Keesey LLP
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By Rob McCarthy
South Bay cities and unincorporated areas
didn’t fare as well as the rest of the county
in reducing the number of homeless people,
though there are a few bright spots in the
just-released Greater Los Angeles Homeless
Count. Housing assistance programs run by
the county and funded by taxpayers through
Measure H helped children, families and
chronically homeless veterans most.
The census done each year creates a snapshot
of the number of people, including children,
who live without permanent housing in Los
Angeles County. The head count was taken over
three nights in January, and organizers report
a 3 percent drop in homelessness throughout
the county. The promising numbers for 2018
are heralded as a sign that taxpayer-funded
strategies are paying off.
The 2018 Homeless Count showed 53,195
people in Los Angeles County experiencing
homelessness. It marked the first time in
four years that homelessness hasn’t risen
across L.A. County’s sprawling and diverse
communities, organizers with the count said.
The South Bay’s census numbers weren’t
as positive -- with a 4 percent increase in
homeless residents.
Still, a silver lining showed in the data
collected by the volunteers who fanned out
after dark on Jan. 24. They counted 4,246
people living out of cars and vans, in shelters
or motels, or outdoors under bridges or in
drainage canals. They spotted fewer families,
both adults and children, and organizers calculate
their numbers dropped by as much as
18 percent compared to the previous winter.
Similar improvement was registered among
chronically homeless veterans, whose resident
population was down 13 percent in the
2018 count. Overall though, more veterans
(18 percent) became homeless in the South
Bay, the tally showed. Volunteers found 222
veterans staying in shelters, while 151 people
with military service were living on the streets
or in vehicles.
Men continue to represent the largest
population of homeless in the South Bay
at 62 percent. That represents a small drop
in the number of males who were counted
the previous year. The number of homeless
women in South Bay jumped 20 percent in a
one-year period. The increase was nearly as
high (18 percent) among people who identified
themselves as transgender individuals.
Re-housing programs targeting African-
Americans got a boost from the census
numbers. Black/African-American men and
women now represent 32 percent of the
South Bay’s homeless population, down 5
percent from a year ago. There were 564
living in shelters, while 815 lacked housing
as of January. Census organizers said that
African-Americans are more affected by
homelessness than any other single ethnic
group in Greater Los Angeles.
“Fewer Black/African-American people
experienced homelessness than last year,
though they continue to be overrepresented,”
according to the count’s organizers. “The
population of Black/African-Americans
decreased from 40 percent to 35 percent of
the total population, but they continue to be
overrepresented compared to 9 percent in
general County population figures.”
A recently created Ad Hoc Committee on
Black People Experiencing Homelessness
plans to address the disparity in homelessness
for people of color, according to organizers.
Homelessness also has increased among
Hispanics since 2017, the new figures show.
They self-reported a 13 increase to the census
takers back in January. There were 1,351
Latinos without permanent housing and all
but 186 were sheltered, the census numbers
showed.
Caucasians in the South Bay represent 32
percent of the area’s homeless population,
and their numbers rose considerably over a
12-month period. This ethnic category saw
a 57 percent jump for the 1,375 people who
were counted on Jan. 25. All but 100 were
sheltered on that night.
Particularly troubling is data showing the
county’s homeless population is aging. The
number of displaced people aged 62 and
older is 22 percent higher this year. Organizers
reported a drop in all other age groups.
The South Bay was the exception in this
comparison, with its homeless population
getting younger than the rest of the county’s.
Among the South Bay’s displaced residents,
there are 453 who are 62 years and older, the
census reports. That figure is down slightly
from 2017, while the 18 to 24-age group is
the fastest growing. There were 56 of these
young adults in shelters and 71 without a place
to live in January’s count of the South Bay.
Locally, the largest age group of homeless
individuals fall in the 25 to 54 age category.
Volunteers reported 312 people living in
shelters and 2,263 with no residences during
the winter census.
There were 690 people between 55 and
61 who were counted as homeless this year,
and just a fraction (108) were staying in a
shelter or living in affordable governmentsponsored
housing.
Organizers of the count said that while
they are encouraged that a record number
of people are being sheltered throughout Los
Angeles County, more people are entering
homelessness for the first time. This suggests
that “root causes of homelessness, such as
the affordable housing crisis, have continued
to worsen,” they said in an announcement of
the results made on May 31.
The data, with its silver linings, leads the
region’s homeless coalition leader to believe
the tide is beginning to turn.
“It’s encouraging, and indicates new resources
voters approved are already having an
impact,” said Peter Lynn, the executive director
with the Los Angeles Homeless Services
Authority. “As the funds and programs from
Measures H and Proposition HHH begin to
reach more people and create more housing,
we will continue building on this momentum.”
To learn more about the homeless count and
view the results, go to www.lahsa.org. The
site also lists shelters and homeless service
providers in the area.