After stirring the pot by directly going to the media with claims that Burbank police had ‘dumped’ a homeless man in his North Hollywood district, Los Angeles City Council President Krekorian did not give an explanation on how that same homeless man was found in Burbank after being reported as laying in the street by Burbank police just two days after the initial incident.
We reached out to Krekorian’s office to comment on what his staff has done for the man.
“After viewing the security camera video, our District Office staff located the individual in question and spoke with him. He appeared to be in need of medical attention so they called the Fire Department, which also handles emergency medical response in the City of Los Angeles. When the emergency medical technicians arrived, they concluded that the man was indeed in need of medical attention and took him to a hospital,” said Hugh Esten, Director of Communication for Paul Krekorian said in an email.
Esten was also asked if the staff did any follow-up or if they knew what happened to the man in question and he would only reply that, “They have made inquiries but cannot disclose private medical information.” Our follow-up email is about his current status, whether he has found housing, etc. went unanswered.
It appears that L.A. paramedics transported him back to Burbank, where he was once again found on the streets by Burbank police, who tried once again to assist him just two days later after the initial incident.
Records obtained by myBurbank show that the man, whose name is being withheld, was discovered by police on patrol at Parkside and Bob Hope Drive (about a block away from Saint Joseph Medical Center) at 10:37 am on Saturday, June 8. The first incident with Burbank police was on the morning of June 6.
According to police records, police say they contacted the man, who they say was lying face-down in the street. He told the officer that he had been taken to Medical Center by Los Angeles paramedics from Noth Hollywood. He asked the officers to take him to jail, but they were unable to since the man had not committed a crime.
At that time, the officers asked the man what he needed and he requested a Coca-Cola, muffin and a cup of coffee, which the officers provided him with. He then told officers he needed no further assistance so police left.
Police received a call at 10:53 am on June 8 for a man who was waving a stick around the middle of the street.
At 11:06 am, Burbank police received a call from LAPD to respond back to Bob Hope and Parkside to assist their officer on the scene who had come into contact with the man again. This time, Burbank officers transported him somewhere but would not make the location public.
Patricia Aidem, Communications Director for Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, said she believes that paramedics are indeed required to bring a patient to the nearest acute-care hospital if necessary, regardless of city lines.
While she is unable to comment on the individual involved in this circumstance, she did go on to say that the hospital tries to work with each individual before they leave the facility, “When unhoused individuals come to the hospital, a community health worker called a navigator meets with them and offers resources, including identifying temporary shelter and helping register for insurance coverage, including MediCal. They’re also provided clothing and shoes if necessary.”
“Patients could leave if they choose, except in instances of police custody or a very serious need for psychiatric intervention. Otherwise, patients may leave on their own, against medical advice, called AMA (Against Medical Advise),” said Aidem, who was not at liberty to discuss the man because of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which protects patients’ medical information.
This, while an isolated incident that Burbank police have promised to release a full finding of the investigation, goes to the larger problem of not only the homeless crisis but how cities like Burbank are not receiving anywhere near the funding that they supplying for the system.
Back in March of 2017, voters approved Measure H, the “Los Angeles County Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness,” by close to 70%. This measure created a one-quarter-cent sales tax that generates funds for the specific purposes of funding homeless services and short-term housing.
Since then, from 2017 through the 2022/23 fiscal year, Burbank taxpayers have paid $46,800,000 into the system and have only received back 2,216,171.00, which is only a return of 4.7% of the money collected. It seems that they did not put a clause into the measure that the money collected from different cities would be returned to those cities for homeless needs and housing.
A full accounting of the incident will be presented by the Burbank Police Department as soon as the investigation is complete.
