Tonight: Three-Year Anniversary for Skid Row Walk

By Eric Richardson
Published: Wednesday, July 02, 2008, at 10:06AM

Ed Fuentes [Flickr]

Central City East Association head Estela Lopez talks to LAPD Central Division Captain Jodi Wakefield on a 2007 walk.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — This evening marks the third anniversary of the Central City East Association's monthly Skid Row Neighborhood Walk. The theme of this evening's walk centers around how much the neighborhood has changed in the time that the walk has been ongoing.

CCEA head Estela Lopez, Councilwoman Jan Perry, and the Midnight Mission's Orlando Ward will be on hand and speaking.

Since the walk's start three years ago, the number of people sleeping on the street has gone down from roughly 2,000 to just 500 - 700. Much of that is due to the new programs such as the Safer Cities Initiative and the addition of fifty new officers to the area.

The walk meets at the Midnight Mission (601 S. San Pedro) at 6pm and leaves at 6:15pm.

SEE ALSO: Walk coverage from:

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Comments

Sammantha writes:

The homeless haven't been taken off the street, instead they were (forced) to relocate to other areas of the city due to constant harrasment by Captain Wakefield's shameful division. Jan Perry, Estella Lopez, the business district and cops are working in unison to address the call of local business, upscale residents and those that share similar values. In essence it's a coalition of mob rule where a segment of society, those with wealth and power utilize their resources and bargaining powers in order to stifle the cries of the poor. Simply put, there is no "neighborhood" because there is no respect for the neighbors. The neighbors are comprised of the broken, tortured, abused and helpless people who have no voice or power to defend themselves. You would think that fascist rule would cease to permeate the U.S. landscape.

# on Aug.20.2008 AT 03:12 PM