VENICE, CA โ Thursday, July 31, 2025 โ A coordinated multi-agency cleanup operation was conducted Thursday morning at Venice Way Alley in Venice, as part of the City of Los Angelesโ ongoing efforts to restore sanitation, safety, and accessibility in public spaces impacted by homeless encampments.
Crews from the Los Angeles Department of Public Works, supported by Clean Harbors Environmental Services and officers from the Los Angeles Police Department, began clearing the site at 9:51 a.m. The operation followed the required 48-hour Notice of Major Cleaning, which advised individuals to remove personal property or risk confiscation in accordance with Los Angeles Municipal Code ยง56.11.
During the operation, sanitation workers informed unhoused individuals that they had 15 minutes to gather their belongings and vacate the alley. The individuals complied without incident. Remaining property was collected and discarded by the cleanup team.
One of the primary enforcement actions focused on LAMC ยง41.45, which governs the unauthorized removal and possession of shopping carts from private businesses. Officers confiscated several carts being used by unhoused individuals. Many bore identifiable business markings and were deemed in violation. The carts were either destroyed on-site or disposed of in sanitation trucks.
Outreach workers with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) were also present, distributing water, food, clothing, and hygiene kits to individuals affected by the sweep, as part of the cityโs effort to pair enforcement with access to services.
LAMC ยง56.11 prohibits sitting, lying, sleeping, or storing personal property in public rights-of-way that obstruct access or create health and safety risks. No arrests or citations were issued during Thursdayโs operation.
The sweep is part of a broader citywide strategy that combines municipal code enforcement with service-based outreach, aiming to maintain public health standards while connecting unhoused individuals with available support resources.
Santa Monica Closeup continues to document the evolving intersection of enforcement, policy, and lived experience across the Westside.
#VeniceBeach #HomelessSweep #VeniceWayAlley #LAMC5611 #LAMC4145 #PublicSafety #Homelessness #EncampmentCleanup #LosAngeles #LAPD #Sanitation #LAHSA #Outreach
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๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ผ ๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐น๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐๐๐ฒ. ๐๐ป๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด, ๐ฟ๐ฒ-๐๐ฝ๐น๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด, ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด, ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ป๐ฎ๐๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐น๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ต๐ถ๐ฏ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ.
ยฉ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐๐ธ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ / ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฎ ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฝ. ๐๐น๐น ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ.
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Fabian Lewkowicz is an award-winning photojournalist based in Santa Monica and the creator of ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฎ ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฝ. Known for his compelling imagery and neutral reporting, his work captures the pulse of the cityโfrom civic affairs and emergency response to cultural moments and beach life. His photography has been showcased in galleries, museums, and public installations.
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