Five Arrested in Crackdown on Drug Use by Transients

Five transients were arrested this week on drug-related charges after a story appeared in The Times that described drug use in a homeless camp across the street from City Hall and the downtown Criminal Courts Building, LAPD officers said Thursday.

Four of those arrested were charged with possession of narcotics, said Sgt. Bob Clark. The fifth person was arrested Wednesday afternoon and charged with being under the influence of a controlled substance, said Officer Joe Lopez, a member of a Los Angeles Police Department task force battling intravenous drug users in downtown Los Angeles.

The arrests were made at 1st Street between Spring Street and Broadway where a homeless camp had sprung up on a long-abandoned lot, jointly owned by the county and state.