Letters to the Editor: Sheriff Villanueva is trying to aid Venice’s homeless. City Hall should help him

To the editor: Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva is doing the right thing by starting an assessment of unhoused people living in the encampments along Ocean Front Walk in Venice. This is a first step to determine who is there, why they are there and what can be done about it. (“Sheriff Villanueva deploys deputies to Venice encampments, but is he overstepping his authority?” June 9)

The sheriff’s next step is to require the occupants to move to locations where they are not taking land from the public. Fortunately, there are such places.

The city of Los Angeles owns two large parcels of vacant land around LAX. The sheriff and the city should require the homeless people in Venice to move their tents to these locations after the city does basic ground preparation and installment of facilities for water, sanitation and lighting. This is what San Francisco has done.

Then, the city should construct on these parcels temporary shelters, such as Tuff Sheds, modified with windows and insulation, which is something Oakland has done.

This will end the encampments and provide transition housing for their occupants.

Clark Brown, Venice

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To the editor: While I no longer support Mike Bonin, my representative on the Los Angeles City Council, I have serious concerns about the county sheriff deciding that he should try to solve the homelessness problem for the city. We already have enough bureaucratic spoons in that cauldron, and don’t need a cowboy riding to the rescue.

Surely there are locations in unincorporated Los Angeles County where the sheriff should be taking action, as is his jurisdictional prerogative.

Warren Cereghino, Pacific Palisades