Skid Row crackdown debated

Those who work and live along Los Angeles' infamous Skid Row have noticed a stronger police presence since the enactment of the 2006 Safer Cities Initiative, but not all are happy about it. Brandon Lowrey in the Daily News.

While no one argues against cleaning up the area where the mentally ill and homeless sprawl out on filthy sidewalks and drug dealers peddle meth in broad daylight, civil-rights advocates and business leaders argued at a Tuesday police commission hearing whether the officers are being too aggressive.

Business leaders delighted in the stepped-up enforcement, citing the "broken window theory" and saying even the most seemingly harmless crimes diminish the quality of the neighborhood. So in order for Skid Row to improve, the rule of law must be completely restored.