LA County sheriff slams failed policies for homeless crisis: It's year after year of 'insanity'
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva vows to clear Venice homeless camps after a woman pulls a knife near a mayoral candidate.
Los Angeles County's sheriff blasted city leadership for the growing homeless crisis, Thursday, after a woman was arrested for pulling a knife near a mayoral candidate in Venice Beach.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva joined "Fox & Friends" to vent his frustration after pledging to clear the homeless encampments from Venice Beach by July 4th.
"This is year after year of counterproductive and irresponsible decisions from the Board of Supervisors, the mayor of L.A. and the L.A. City Council," Villanueva said. "Each and every person played a part in failing to acknowledge the unfolding crisis that keeps getting bigger and bigger. Yet they're still applying the same failed formula year to year and somehow expecting to have a better result. It's insanity."
Authorities in Los Angeles arrested a homeless woman, Monday, after they say she pulled a knife just feet away from City Councilman Joe Buscaino on the Venice Boardwalk, according to reports.
The incident occurred after Buscaino, a mayoral candidate, spoke about the city's homelessness crisis, urging a city crackdown on tents in parks, beaches and sidewalks.
Venice was also the scene of a brutal attack on a boardwalk performer, Sunday, after a suspect was seen on video punching a man in his 70s to the ground.
Villanueva called out Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl and Councilman Mike Bonin for "putting the welcome mat for the entire nation's homeless" to come to the city.
"They handcuffed the LAPD and told them, 'You're not going to enforce anything because we don't want to offend anybody,'" Villanueva said. "The two of those are singularly responsible for the results in Venice… [Kuehl] says she's deeply disturbed. Well, I'm deeply disturbed by people dying in the streets, facedown in the gutter. I'm deeply disturbed that Venice is now the destination of choice for homeless throughout the entire nation."
"This detachment from reality and from responsibility is truly frightening because it's an unfolding humanitarian crisis and this community is suffering," he added.
The Los Angeles County Democratic Party called for Villanueva's resignation, Tuesday, the same day his sheriff's department documented the biggest drug bust in its history.
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"It's sad, when you think about," Villanueva said. "We've started the largest drug seizure in -- I think it's going to be U.S. history when it's all said and done… Violent crime [is] out of control, homelessness [is] spiraling out of control. And the best thing they could do is come up with demanding my resignation while I have a D.A. who is not doing his job and endangering the lives of L.A. County residents, and he has their full support and backing."
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón is facing a recall effort over progressive reforms including ending the death penalty, not trying juveniles as adults and removing special circumstance charges.
Fox News' David Aaro and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
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