Homeless encampments and housing developments are increasingly becoming sources of public safety concerns, contributing to crime and straining emergency services, according to Alex Villanueva, former Sheriff of Los Angeles County.
Villanueva, who served as sheriff from 2018 to 2022, points to a rise in emergency calls originating from homeless housing sites. He cites a California Post investigation that found some city and state-funded developments are generating hundreds of calls for violent crimes. Police are frequently dispatched to these locations, some of which have appeared in established neighborhoods with little prior notice.
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) recently reported an increase in the homeless population, a trend Villanueva argues exacerbates public safety threats. He recalled his time as watch commander at Pico Rivera Station in 2014, where a facility known as Pico Gardens, a halfway house for individuals with mental illnesses, generated an average of two calls for service per day. These disturbances often spilled into adjacent business parking lots, consuming significant law enforcement hours.
"A poorly staffed patrol station was forced to devote hundreds of man-hours to address complaints arising from one property, and forced to ignore other pressing issues throughout the city and surrounding unincorporated areas," Villanueva stated.
He also highlighted that in 2025, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported that 54% of its calls for service were related to homeless encampments. This indicates that first responders are increasingly dedicating resources to mental health disturbances at homeless developments and encampments, diverting attention from other emergencies.
Calls related to mental health crises, such as those requiring a Mental Evaluation Team (MET) response or an involuntary 72-hour hold under California's Welfare and Institutions Code Section 5150, can tie up units for substantial portions of their shifts. This administrative work further reduces the time officers can spend on patrol or deterring crime.
The deinstitutionalization of psychiatric hospitals, initiated under former Gov. Ronald Reagan with the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act in the 1960s, aimed to protect public safety. However, Villanueva contends that the closure of these facilities has led to individuals with severe mental illnesses being left without adequate care, posing direct risks to the public.
He expressed skepticism about the widespread acceptance of "community-based alternatives," suggesting that communities are often reluctant to host such facilities due to perceived threats to safety and potential decreases in property values. Villanueva advocates for the re-establishment of psychiatric facilities, ranging from forensic inpatient services to outpatient treatment, to provide comprehensive care for acute patients.
"It’s time to take real, permanent action to remove homeless encampments that are a threat to public safety — for their own residents, and for their neighbors," Villanueva concluded.
Villanueva, who changed his political party affiliation from Democrat to Republican, is running for LA County Sheriff again in 2026.