Journo Jamie Joseph, Photag John Fredricks Team for Demise of Venice Beach Story
‘Like Hell Went to Hell,’ The Tragic Demise of Venice Beach
LOS ANGELES—World-renowned Venice Beach has long been a place where visitors, residents, and business owners commingled with artists, musicians, and entertainers from all over the country. Over 10 million tourists visit the beach’s famous boardwalk each year, drawn in by the ocean view and the unconventional lifestyle of the city’s eccentric community.
BY JAMIE JOSEPH
PHOTOS BY JOHN FREDRICKS
THE EPOCH TIMES
Women walk past homeless encampments in venice Beach, Calif., on June 8, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)
But the famed destination no longer circulates in headlines for its wacky tourist attractions or local eateries. Instead, the beach town has become known worldwide for its flourishing homeless encampments, burgeoning filth, skyrocketing crime rate, and increasingly violent transients.
As city officials dawdle, the beachside town is falling to ruin, residents say, overwhelmed by the homeless that are making their lives a living hell.
Their cries for help have gone largely unheeded—until now. Earlier this week, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced a July 4th sweep that aims to clean up the mess.
For residents who have been trying to get local officials to act for months, the action can’t come soon enough…
A homeless individual in Venice Beach, Calif., on June 8, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)
A homeless individual in Venice Beach, Calif., on June 8, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)
A homeless encampment in Venice Beach, Calif., on June 8, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)
