Barricades Returning to Area in Sepulveda Plagued by Drugs

Citing increases in open drug dealing and other crimes in a Sepulveda neighborhood where street barricades were taken down two months ago, police said today that the barriers will be reinstalled--temporarily--by early June.

Los Angeles Police Sgt. J. W. Thompson said street barricades will be returned to the 12-block area bounded by Orion Avenue, Nordhoff Street, Langdon Avenue and Parthenia Street because crime has jumped more than 35% since they were removed March 19.

Thompson said patrol officers have observed increased drug activity in the area and on Monday there was a drive-by shooting in the neighborhood that left a suspected gang member injured.

Once again, the portable, wooden saw-horse style barriers will be used to block off all but the Rayen Street entrance to the neighborhood, police said. The barriers will be removed twice a day to allow buses serving Langdon Avenue School to pass.

The Orion neighborhood is just east of the Golden State Freeway. Police have said its proximity to the freeway helped the area gain a reputation as a drive-through drug-buying zone. Another neighborhood, along nearby Columbus Avenue, has a similar reputation and is expected to have permanent barriers put in place this month.

But Thompson said the Orion neighborhood has fewer problems and police administrators have no plans to make barricades permanent there. Instead, the neighborhood will be monitored and the barriers will be removed if crime drops again.

“If we can solve the problems without having to go with the permanent barricades, that is the way we want to go,” he said.