LOS ANGELES (NewsNation) — In one of California’s most iconic beachside communities, residents and business owners have taken security into their own hands, hiring a private patrol staffed largely by former gang members to push back against what some have called a homelessness crisis overtaking the neighborhood.
Venice Beach, known for Muscle Beach and its bohemian character, has grappled for years with a surge in homeless encampments, drug activity and property crime, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the area is far from crime-free, residents say conditions along the boardwalk and nearby Abbott Kinney Boulevard have visibly improved in recent months.
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The change has coincided with the growing presence of Ghost Town, a private security firm whose staff includes former gang members with deep ties to the neighborhood’s streets…