Police Nab Jaywalkers in Downtown Los Angeles

I work as a security officer at 6th and Spring streets, an area known as “drug alley” between 4th and 6th on Spring Street and between 5th and 6th on Broadway, one block west. The people in my building jaywalk because they are afraid for their lives. They do not want to be asked to buy drugs, to get mugged or verbally harassed or abused. The people in my building are even scared to go outside for lunch.

The police have been notified repeatedly, their reply is “we are doing the best we can.” It seems that the criminal (non-taxpayer) can get away with anything he wants and the law-abiding taxpayer has no rights at all to protect himself and his possessions, even if it means jaywalking to get around the drug dealers, users and muggers. When arrested, the muggers and drug dealers and users are put in jail for a couple of days and released because the jails are full.

You can walk between 5th and 6th on Spring Street any day of the week and see at least 20 drug transactions in just one block, and you might get mugged in the meantime.

R.P. IFFERT

Los Angeles