L.A. Pulls Plug on Illegal Pay Phones

Two public telephones in North Hills that were illegally installed and used primarily by drug dealers and prostitutes were removed Monday by city officials, Mayor James K. Hahn announced.

The pay phones, located at Parthenia Street and Cedros Avenue near a liquor store and laundermat, were not permitted and were not maintained by any legitimate telephone companies, said Katisha Robinson, a spokeswoman for the mayor.

“They were very sophisticated in the way the phones were hooked up,” she said. “We don’t know who put them there, but they were installed illegally.”

Earlier this month, 12 other illegal phones were removed from locations in North Hills, Robinson said.

City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo, City Council President Alex Padilla and Assistant Police Chief Jim McDonnell joined Hahn at the intersection to announce the phones’ removal.

“There is a small but powerful element here in North Hills who feels it is their right to reach out and touch their drug dealer,” said Padilla. “The city of Los Angeles is putting those drug dealers on notice that, as of today, you can’t reach out and touch anybody using pay phones to conduct your ongoing criminal enterprise.”