Judge bars LA from seizing and destroying homeless people's property

LOS ANGELES >> A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction today barring Los Angeles police and sanitation officers from seizing and destroying homeless people’s property without sufficient notice.

U.S. District Court Judge S. James Otero also ordered the city to segregate and store impounded belongings where they can be recovered, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The city will be allowed to confiscate or destroy contraband, crime evidence and hazardous material or rat-infested property posing public health and safety issues, Otero ruled, according to The Times.

The injunction applies to skid row and “adjoining areas,” the Times reported.

The City Attoey’s Office is evaluating the court’s order, Rob Wilcox of the City Attoey’s Office told City News Service.

Shayla R. Myers, a staff attoey with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles said, “The court’s order makes it clear that the city caot keep putting homeless people’s lives in jeopardy by taking and throwing away their tents, blankets, medication, and other items they need to survive.”

“The court recognized, yet again, that the United States Constitution protects homeless individuals’ property, and that the protection of these rights is critically important for individuals who are compelled to sleep on the sidewalks in Los Angeles,” Myers said.

Four homeless individuals and two groups sued the city last month, alleging enforcement sweeps of homeless encampments have led to false arrests and property seizures without due process.