The city’s free 311 system once again fielded more service requests from Boyle Heights than any other neighborhood during the first quarter of 2024.
An analysis of data from the system that connects residents to non-emergency city services showed that Los Angeles received a total of 339,000 calls from January 1 through March 31, according to a report by nonprofit newsroom Crosstown LA.
During this time, Boyle Heights logged 11,250 reports, topping the list.
Graffiti removal accounted for 58.4% of requests in Boyle Heights, followed by bulky item pickups, which made up 23.2% of calls recorded in the neighborhood.
The remaining percentage of calls included illegal dumping pickups, reports of homeless encampments, dead animal removal and streetlighting issues.
It’s not uncommon for Boyle Heights to top the list of service calls. Pete Brown, communications director for Council District 14, attributes the high volume of calls to the density of the neighborhood compared to other communities, and a disproportionate amount of illegal dumping.
“We’ve got so many freeways cutting through so unfortunately people come here to throw their things here and drive away,” said Brown.
Illegal dumping requests made up only 4.5% of calls in the neighborhood. It’s something Kevin de León’s council district has attempted to curb with a fleet of cleanup trucks launched last year. The program employs 24 community residents to patrol the district and is funded with the councilman’s discretionary funds.
“They’re driving down every street and if they see things, they go and clean it up. They’ve already got their routine cleanups,”said Brown. “That’s regular cleaning and maintenance that CD 14 deserves.”
While the trucks locate and clean up trash and dumped furniture that hasn’t yet been reported to the city, local residents are still encouraged to call 311 to report illegally dumped objects and to schedule pickup of bulky items.
The MyLA311 service can be reached by calling 311 or (213) 437-3231, online via myla311.lacity.org, or through the MyLA311 mobile app.
