Los Angeles hears sirens day and night, but many taxpayers and small business owners say they still feel unprotected during crimes and emergencies. The Korean-language article argues that the city’s police, fire and ambulance systems have been weakened by poor management and costly stopgap responses.
In areas such as MacArthur Park and Skid Row, a large share of Los Angeles Fire Department emergency runs are tied to overdose cases and emergency transport for people found on the street, rather than fires or sudden illness. Critics in the article say repeated Narcan use and hospital trips for the same individuals have turned 911 into what they describe as a pickup service for homeless and drug-addicted people, while ordinary residents wait longer for ambulances.
The article also says the city has failed to put in place basic solutions for drugs and homelessness, leading to massive overtime spending for fire and police personnel. That overtime has cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, according to the article’s description of city spending.
The piece frames the issue as a broader failure of public administration, saying city leaders invoke public safety while relying on overtime-funded emergency responses and avoiding political responsibility.
