On Tuesday night the LAPD closed the bridge again in an effort to prevent crime. The closure will be in place “until further notice” due to illegal activity, the LAPD said on Twitter. LAPD News: The 6th Street Bridge will remain closed until further notice due to illegal activity and public safety concerns. — LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) July 27, 2022 “We’re not going to arrest our way out of this,” Moore said Tuesday at a police commission meeting. “Despite hundreds of seizures, citations and arrests, we’re still seeing the proliferation of this. That’s why I’m asking for the public’s help, support and assistance.” Speedometers are being installed as city officials hope to curb crime. A central median and fencing to discourage people from scaling the arches could also be installed soon on a temporary basis, according to Moore. The $588 million bridge, which opened to the public on July 10 and connects Boyle Heights to the downtown Arts District, was closed Sunday night for the third night in a row for what the Los Angeles Police Department called “illegal activity ». Police have made more than 57 citations and impounded six vehicles in the past four days, according to Moore. Moore said the bridge has become known as a place where people come to “get their 15 minutes of fame” by climbing the bridge’s infrastructure, blocking traffic and posting protests on social media. The majority of illegal activity is committed by people who are not from the surrounding community, according to Moore. Videos on social media from last weekend showed drivers spinning their wheels and doing other antics on the bridge, leaving the pavement scarred. Some people even crawled into the ribbon-like arches that line the bridge to get a high-up view of the action. Other isolated incidents include a man getting a haircut in the middle of the bridge last Wednesday and another shadowboxer wearing a red cape. The driver of a car involved in a July 18 crash abandoned the damaged Dodge Charger on the bridge and fled on foot. The incidents “pull finite resources, limited resources away from more pressing tasks to ensure the safety of this location,” Moore said. In total, police have documented 657 street occupations in Los Angeles so far this year. They’ve made 352 misdemeanor arrests, impounded 439 cars and issued more than 2,000 citations related to street racing and takeovers. The opening of the Sixth Street Viaduct marked a key milestone in a construction project that began in 2016 to replace a vintage 1932 structure. The original bridge was an iconic Los Angeles landmark, featured in movies like “Grease” and “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” but its aging structure was deteriorating, leaving it seismically unfit. CBSLA staff The CBS LA staff is a team of experienced journalists who bring you the content on CBSLA.com.
