This week, the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a motion to restore Nuisance Abatement Teams (NAT) to crack down on illegal public nuisance land cases and egregious code violators within unincorporated County communities.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger, lead author of the motion, described the essential and specialized public safety services rendered by these teams. “Nuisance Abatement Teams are essentially strike teams that move in on the most complex code violators and cases on private property,” Barger stated. “Their work targets individuals who don’t play by the rules and are endangering the health and safety of their surrounding communities. Keeping the communities I represent safe is one of my top priorities. This motion makes good on that promise.”
Supervisor Hilda Solis, co-author of the motion, commented on the value that these teams bring to the table. “As Supervisor to the First District which includes one-third of the County’s unincorporated areas, I am proud to co-author this motion which will ramp up support to address public nuisance cases on private properties that are a risk to the health and well-being of fellow neighbors,” said Supervisor Solis. “Nuisance Abatement Teams provide a critical service to maintain our residential and commercial neighborhood vibrant, reduce crime, and improve the quality of life for our residents.”
NATs are each composed of a law enforcement officer and senior District Attorney investigators, and are funded through a combination of public funding sources.
In recent months, NATs had been forced to scale back their services due to a reduction in staffing support from the District Attorney’s Office. However, a report by the County’s Chief Executive Office found no evidence of budget curtailments or staffing reductions related to District Attorney investigators. Efforts are underway to reinstate NATs in the coming weeks.