North Hills : City Council Orders Barricades Removed
The Los Angeles City Council this week ordered the removal of five traffic barricades that have hindered crime-fighting efforts in a North Hills neighborhood, according to City Councilman Richard Alarcon.
The barriers were installed about 10 years ago in the area around the intersections of Nordhoff Street and Columbus Avenue, and Parthenia Street and Columbus.
“I’m very pleased that the barriers are finally coming down,” said Alarcon, who proposed the barricades’ removal. “We’re going to work very closely with the police department and the community to ensure that problems that existed when the barricades went up, don’t return.”
Capt. Vance Proctor of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Devonshire Division said he welcomed the City Council’s action.
“The gates became an eyesore in the community, and narcotics officers were saying that they were more of a hindrance than a help in their crime-fighting efforts,” he said. After six months, he said, he would like to re-evaluate the situation.
The gates were first installed to stymie drug dealers who liked to cruise in and out of the neighborhoods, the councilman said.
Last week, however, Alarcon said that police need better access to the neighborhood to crack down on drugs and other problems that persist.
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