Dennis RomeroThe people with the best seats in the house above the Hollywood Bowl were unceremoniously bounced from the party by the L.A. County Sheriff's Department today.
These were not, however, ordinary gatecrashers with good taste in tunes, a bottle of chianti in their Louis Vuitton bags, and their radios permanently tuned to Jason Bentley. No.
These were homeless folks:
This morning 25 men “voluntarily left” the hills above the Bowl and the Ford Amphitheater after deputies, with help from the LAPD, came around with their badges and guns, according to the sheriff's department.
Credit: Stephen Lee Carr
To be fair, the cops did bring volunteers and counselors from People Assisting the Homeless (PATH), and the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health Services.
And: They did find these rock 'n' roll campers shelter, at least temporarily.
The sheriff's department states that it has been trying for a month to get these music freeloaders to move along, at least before Aerosmith and Cheap Trick go on-stage.
The LASD says that deputies and counselors last month …
… made contact with more than a dozen transients living in the hills surrounding the Hollywood Bowl and Ford Theater. Offers were made for shelter, medical and mental health treatment, and other opportunities to relocate to an environment.
They should have offered backstage passes.
Sheriff's Captain Stephen Smith said the action was the result of “residents' concerns” about the hillside homeless population.
And remember, this was not a raid. It was an “outreach.”
[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]
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