Mayor, Chief Propose Law for Evicting Drug Dealers

A city law requiring the eviction of tenants arrested for selling drugs at their rented apartments or homes was proposed Wednesday by Mayor Tom Bradley and Police Chief Daryl F. Gates.

Patterned after a New York City law enacted last June, the ordinance would require landlords to launch eviction procedures against an arrested tenant within five days. Failure to do so could cost the landlord up to $5,000 in legal costs if the city attorney is then required to handle the eviction.

“We will not surrender one inch of our city to gangs and drug dealers,” Bradley said. “Any renter in the city should know: If you want to stay in your apartment, don’t deal drugs.”

New Tool for Police

Gates said that state law already allows police to seize cars and homes used by drug dealers and that the proposed ordinance would be an additional tool for the Police Department. Gates said evictions would occur only if drug peddling occurred, not if the tenant was only using the drugs.

Gates added, however, that the eviction law will be applied regardless of the quantity of drugs being sold out of an apartment or rented house.

“My policy is, if they are drug dealing and we have this ordinance--zero tolerance, out they go,” Gates said.

Eviction proceedings could be started without a conviction for drug peddling, Bradley and Gates said. The mayor said the eviction would result from a civil proceeding requiring a reduced standard of proof than in a criminal trial.

“If this ordinance is to be effective, we could not wait for the criminal justice system; the trials may drag on for months or even a year or more,” Bradley said.

Holden Has Doubts

Councilman Nate Holden, who is opposing Bradley in the April 11 municipal primary, said he questions the proposed law’s legality.

“Our goal is to get every dope pusher out of the city of Los Angeles. But at the same time, we should design laws that will not infringe on the rights of the innocent,” Holden said.

“Just to get at the criminal, you don’t want to violate the rights of the law-abiding citizens who may also be using that apartment or house,” Holden said.