Homeless invade Venice Beach Skate Park as LAPD bans VSA's volunteer night watch

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The predicted dilemma that the brand new Dennis ‘Polar Bear’ Memorial Skate Park in Venice Beach would become a camp for the local homeless population has already developed into a real problem.

Since it’s opening two weeks ago, the Venice Surf and Skateboard Association (VSA) had volunteers performing night watch duties after closing hours to prevent the facility to be vandalized, or otherwise used for illegal activities.

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However, this past Monday, the Los Angeles Police Department ejected the volunteers from the premises and notified them that, due to the legal implications associated with the task, they are not allowed to carry out the function of safeguarding the skate park at night.

Evidently, VSA members were very distressed by the LAPD action, given that the agency itself is unable to monitor the place all night long every day of the week.

After the eviction, it did not take long for trouble to arise. The very next morning, the park was spotted being used as a site for loitering and drug use (see these images from YoVenice.com's Flickr photostream).

This kind of problems – drugs, vandalism, graffiti – happened in the past, in the surround area formerly know as “the pit”, also a skate spot until the turn of the century. City authorities resolved the predicament by burying the entire area with sand, closing it down permanently.

While acknowledging the problem of homelessness in the area, the local skateboarding community has its own issues to deal with. On a VSA blog posting, commenting about the matter, Jesse Martinez said:

“…it is simplistic to think that to “give a homeless person a flashlight” will help (with) anything […] The people trashing the park don't skate or care about (it)[…]. These people are defecating, smoking dope, fornicating and or using the facility for the wrong purpose.”

The VSA will continue its presence in the park during daytime, assisting with safety, cleanups and observance of rules. For those chores, they are still calling for volunteers to step up and contribute.

Image from YoVenice.com's Flickr photostream

In the meantime, the group is in contact with the Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department in order to reach a lawful approach to the question.

According to the YoVenice forum, Arturo Piña, a local field representative for L.A. City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, has requested the VSA to submit a supervision and maintenance proposal for review, and he recommends that civilians who wish to oversee any facility must register with the Volunteer Program of the Recreation & Parks Department.