Echo Park Lake chain-link fence erected for repairs taken down
The chain-link fence that’s confined Echo Park Lake for the past year after city officials removed a homeless encampment in order to make repairs was taken down Sunday evening — but not by park rangers.
The Los Angeles Police Department responded to a call of a person vandalizing the fences, according to Officer Annie Hernandez. She said around 300 feet of chain-link was cut and strewn along the park grounds.
For the record:
7:39 p.m. Aug. 8, 2022A previous version of this post said Knock LA was on the scene Tuesday night. The correct day was Sunday.
Knock LA was on the scene Sunday and chronicled the fence being removed on social media. Hanging from a tree in the park was a panel of chain-link fence, with a sign that read, “Community De-Fence!” Another sign read, “People’s Park LA Welcomes U.”
In an encampment above the Hollywood Freeway, nothing about Mckenzie Trahan’s future is certain.
The fence has been a topic of scrutiny among locals since it was implemented last year, following the city’s sweep of homeless encampments in the park.
Echo Park was later shut down in March 2021 for renovations, according to park rangers, and the fence was supposed to temporarily close the park while it underwent more than $500,000 worth of repairs. The repairs have been completed and the park has reopened, but a year later, the fence remained in place.
As of Monday morning, there are no known suspects, but park rangers are filing a criminal investigation, Hernandez said.
Of the 183 people who were on the ‘Echo Park Lake placements list,’ only 17 were placed in some form of long-term housing, researchers found.
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