Eviction of Drug Peddlers From Rental Units Sought

Mayor Tom Bradley and Police Chief Daryl F. Gates proposed Wednesday that landlords in Los Angeles be required to evict tenants arrested for peddling drugs from their apartments or rented houses.

The proposed law, which Bradley sent to the City Council for consideration at a later date, would give landlords five days to start the legal process to evict suspected drug dealers. If a landlord failed to act, the city would evict the tenant and could charge the property owner up to $5,000 in fees.

The ordinance would require only an arrest, not a conviction, to begin the eviction process.

“We’re determined to make it tough on those who engage in the sale of drugs,” Bradley told a City Hall news conference. “We are not going to surrender an inch of our territory to these hoodlums, to these peddlers.”

Councilman Nate Holden, who is challenging Bradley in the April 11 election, said he questioned the legality of the proposed law and will carefully analyze it when it comes before the council.

“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.”

Before the eviction process could begin, investigators would have to indicate evidence of drug dealing, such as scales, large quantities of drugs, large sums of money or drug-packaging material, Gates said. Also, police would have to show that undercover officers had made drug buys at the home or apartment.

The proposed ordinance would require landlords to ask the suspected drug dealers to move out and, if they refused, to take them to court to force them to leave.