LOS ANGELES (KNX) - On the day she announced her campaign for Los Angeles mayor, Congresswoman Karen Bass cited the city's homless crisis as one of the reasons why she decided to run.
“Our city is facing a public health, safety and economic crisis in homelessness that has evolved into a humanitarian emergency,” she said.
In an interview with KNX In-Depth, Bass explained how she plans to tackle the homelessness crisis on day one.
“I would declare, on day one, a state of emergency in the city,” she said. “But a city state of emergency isn’t enough. We need the federal government to weigh in. ...I would bring together every level of government because I have deep relationships on every level. I would bring in the federal government, the state government, the county, and the city together. As long as we are functioning in silos or at counter purposes, we are not going to deal with this problem.”
Bass also discussed rising crime, saying, “the first job of the mayor is to keep people safe.”
“I wanna get officers- and there are some neighborhoods that want to see an increased police presence and others who don’t – but for those who want to see an increased police presence, the way to get officers on the beat immediately is to get them from behind a desk,” she said.
But Bass isn’t the only one the frontrunner spot. She shares the spot with businessman Rick Caruso.
A UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll in April revealed the two were nearly tied.
Listen to Bass’ full interview with KNX In Depth in the audio above.
Disclaimer: KNX IN Depth has reached out to both Rick Caruso and Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de León for an interview.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
Related
Related
