Los Angeles Has a Problem with 'Nuisance' Properties

Abandoned apartment buildings and other nuisance properties have been a longstanding problem for the city of Los Angeles in the U.S., creating safety hazards and becoming a blight on the city landscape with vandalized and graffiti-strewn exteriors. Instead of hiring private security to maintain public safety, some building owners have left it to the city to deal with the consequences of unfinished projects, and the city’s code didn’t allow for any other remedy. This created a situation where public police officers would need to frequently patrol the areas around the problem facilities.

Hiring Private Security is Seen as the Best Solution

A new rule will allow the city to step in and hire private security to secure abandoned properties and then require owners to reimburse the city. A second vote is necessary, but a 13-0 vote in the L.A. City Council is the major hurdle in changing the city's abatement process for enforcement of building standards.

"The approval of today's ordinance aims to protect taxpayers by empowering the city to deploy private security forces on ghosted properties and cuts the [Los Angeles Police Department] loose from babysitting them instead of fighting real crime in our neighborhoods,” — L.A. City Councilman Kevin de León

Councilman Kevin de León introduced a motion to hire private security at a development in the city’s downtown that stopped construction in 2019 after it lost funding.