Los Angeles Police Release Video of Rats at Homeless Encampment

The Los Angeles Police Department posted video of a large homeless encampment overrun by rats near a residential area. Trash and debris filled the street while tents, bikes and garbage blocked sidewalks. A second clip showed rats moving through piles of trash and entering shelters.

The department stated that the encampment made it impossible for neighbors with disabilities to pass and created a health hazard. Officers conducted an enforcement operation that resulted in several felony and misdemeanor arrests along with multiple citations.

Angeles has about 43,699 homeless people in the city, with the county total exceeding 72,000, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. About 3,800 people live in Skid Row. The city has received a $2.6 billion allocation to purchase and renovate properties for people experiencing homelessness.

The homelessness issue has been a focus of the upcoming Los Angeles mayoral election. The mayor said bureaucratic barriers prevented earlier progress on a goal to end street homelessness by the end of the first term. The mayor added that the administration remains committed to the goal.

The mayor's opponent has criticized the city's handling of homelessness, infrastructure and emergency preparedness.