North Hills : Removal of Traffic Barricades Proposed

City Councilman Richard Alarcon this week proposed removal of traffic barricades that he said have hindered crime-fighting efforts in a North Hills neighborhood.

On Tuesday, Alarcon called for the dismantling of gates, walls and posts that were installed about 10 years ago in the area around the intersection of Nordhoff Street and Columbus Avenue, and the area surrounding the intersection of Parthenia Street and Columbus.

The five barriers were installed to stymie drug dealers who liked to cruise in and out of the neighborhoods, Alarcon said.

“While they are preventing easy access to drug traffickers, they are also making it more difficult for police to move around, too,” the councilman said Friday.

Alarcon said there continues to be drug and other problems in the area, and that police need better access to the neighborhood to address them.

The councilman added that trash tends to collect near the gates and that people have used the barricades to evade police.

Another concern is the legality of the barricades. Recent state court rulings appear to say that such barricades can be up for a maximum of three years, and that before they are built, local government must make certain findings--which was never done in this case, according to Alarcon.

The City Council is set to consider the proposal on Dec. 9.