LA Councilwoman Faces Backlash Over Deteriorating MacArthur Park Amid Rising Drug Crisis

By Staff Reporter

December 13, 2025

Los Angeles, CA — The decline of MacArthur Park has intensified local outrage and raised hard questions about governance, public safety, and the policy choices shaping one of the city’s oldest urban spaces. As encampments proliferate and fentanyl-related activity continues to surface in daylight, residents, business owners, and parent groups are asking why the park, once a cornerstone of family recreation and community events, now functions as a focal point for safety concerns and social policy debate.

Historical context and the arc of change

MacArthur Park’s storied history stretches back more than a century, with phases of revitalization that mirrored broader city initiatives. A landmark renovation in the late 1990s restored the lake, rebuilt pathways, and reintroduced playgrounds as part of a broader push to reclaim neglected civic spaces. In the early 2010s, targeted improvements and coordinated community programming helped to reestablish it as a regional draw, albeit with ongoing challenges around urban homelessness, mental health resources, and policing strategies.

Policy decisions in recent years have shaped a more complex trajectory. In 2022, a long-running refurbishment plan led by former Councilman Gil Cedillo culminated in more than $1.2 million in improvements, including grounds restoration, lake cleanup, reopened children’s play areas, enhanced patrols, ranger enforcement, vending regulations, and expanded family programming. These investments were designed to balance safety with accessibility, preserving the park as a family-friendly asset while addressing associated social-service needs.

The current era, however, has diverged sharply from that arc. Observers describe a swift transformation: day-to-day life in the park now includes visible drug use, paraphernalia litter, and encampments that extend into surrounding sidewalks and adjacent playgrounds. The shift has altered how residents and visitors interact with the space, and it has become a litmus test for the city’s broader approach to homelessness, addiction, and public safety.

Leadership questions and accountability

Eunisses Hernandez, a Los Angeles City Council member representing the district that includes MacArthur Park, has become the focal point of the backlash. Earning a salary of roughly $240,000 per year, plus benefits, she has faced criticism for not participating in public forums and debates convened to address the park’s condition. A recent community gathering featured a challenger who brought a life-size cardboard cutout of Hernandez, underscoring the perceived absence of leadership and accountability.

Opponents argue that the district’s needs require consistent, visible, and proactive governance, especially given the park’s central role in neighborhood life. Critics point to Hernandez’s voting record on city budgets and public-safety measures since taking office in December 2022 as indicative of a broader policy stance that some view as insufficiently responsive to escalating drug activity and encampment growth. They highlight a pattern of opposition to certain enforcement and encampment-management policies, arguing that such stances have contributed to the current conditions.

Supporters of Hernandez, meanwhile, emphasize the complexity of balancing civil liberties, social supports, and law enforcement in a densely populated urban environment. They note that the district has also benefited from investments in community mental health, needle exchange programs, and other harm-reduction initiatives intended to address public health without criminalizing vulnerable populations. The debate, in their view, is less about a single leader and more about how to marshal resources and political will to mitigate harm while maintaining the park’s integrity as a public space.

Economic implications and local impacts

The park’s decline has rippled through the surrounding economy. Langer’s Deli, a long-standing neighborhood staple, has adjusted hours and security measures in response to post-sunset safety concerns, reflecting a broader pattern of discretionary consumer behavior that can dampen foot traffic and local commerce. Nearby property owners have reported variability in visitation and a sense of insecurity that affects rental prices, tenant turnover, and small-business viability.

Public safety infrastructure has drawn particular attention. Fire Station 11, which serves the area, recorded 1,385 overdoses in 2025 — nearly four per day — making it one of the busiest firehouses in the region. The volume of medical emergencies associated with drug activity has strained emergency-response resources and heightened concerns about response times and resource allocation in adjacent neighborhoods.

From a broader economic perspective, the situation at MacArthur Park intersects with regional debates about homelessness, addiction treatment, and public space management. Local policymakers are weighing the costs of expanded outreach, sanitation services, and safety programs against the broader economic and social benefits of a well-maintained park that can attract families, tourists, and potential investment. The tension between providing compassionate services and maintaining a safe, accessible environment for all park users remains a central policy challenge.

Regional comparisons and broader trends

MacArthur Park’s experience is not isolated, though it is particularly acute within Los Angeles’s urban landscape. Cities across the United States have grappled with similar dynamics: aging public spaces contending with intensified homelessness, open-air drug use, and competing visions for how to regulate encampments while protecting civil liberties. Some municipalities have adopted a combination of enhanced enforcement, expanded social services, and physical upgrades to facilities; others have pursued more expansive harm-reduction strategies, integrated with housing-first policies and rapid re-housing programs.

A comparative lens highlights several key themes:

• Enforcement versus support: Jurisdictions that balance police presence with robust outreach and addiction treatment services tend to see improvements in park safety metrics, though the exact mix of measures requires careful calibration to local conditions.
• Infrastructure investments: Fencing, lighting, improved sightlines, and upgraded facilities can deter some illicit activities while signaling a recommitment to public safety. Yet such measures must be paired with transparent, community-informed planning to avoid perceptions of criminalization.
• Public health integration: Successful models increasingly integrate public health resources with safety operations, including syringe service programs, safe-use education, and access to addiction treatment, to reduce harm and stabilize neighborhoods.
• Community engagement: Ongoing dialogue with residents, businesses, schools, and faith-based organizations is critical to sustaining momentum and ensuring that park improvements reflect local needs and priorities.

Public reaction and community voices

Public sentiment surrounding MacArthur Park is deeply divided. Parents and caregivers express legitimate concerns about safety and the ability to bring children to an open space that has historically served as a hub of family activity. They describe encounters with litter, discarded needles, and scenes that disrupt the sense of security essential for daytime park use.

Business owners in the vicinity describe a ripple effect on commerce, with some reporting declines in foot traffic and temporary closures. The perception that policy choices have allowed conditions to deteriorate has intensified scrutiny of local leadership and, by extension, the district’s governance.

Advocates focused on housing, mental health, and harm reduction emphasize the need for a humane approach to the city’s most vulnerable populations. They point to the importance of sustained funding for outreach teams, mobile health services, and long-term housing solutions as essential to reversing the park’s decline and stabilizing surrounding neighborhoods.

Policy responses and proposed solutions

City officials have pursued a range of responses aimed at mitigating harm, restoring safety, and rebuilding public confidence in the park. A notable policy shift involves the construction of a perimeter fence, approved in fall 2025 as a measure to delineate safe zones around the park and channel encampment activity away from high-traffic areas. The decision marks a departure from Hernandez’s earlier opposition to fencing as a tool of criminalization, signaling a pragmatic pivot in light of mounting safety concerns and community pressure.

Other initiatives focus on a three-pronged approach: enhanced sanitation and maintenance, expanded outreach and social services, and targeted enforcement to address illegal activities while connecting people to treatment and housing resources. Officials highlight the importance of data-driven oversight, with metrics on park usage, emergency responses, and service delivery used to assess progress over time.

Education and communication efforts are also a part of the plan. Local agencies have increased outreach to schools, faith-based organizations, and neighborhood associations to communicate safety measures, park programming, and available social services. The aim is to reestablish MacArthur Park as a welcoming, multi-use space where families, seniors, students, and visitors can engage in recreational activities with confidence.

Looking ahead

As the city weighs further investments and policy adjustments, the MacArthur Park situation offers a microcosm of the broader urban policy debate: how to reconcile the needs of vulnerable populations with the rights of all residents to a safe public space. The path forward will likely involve a combination of physical improvements, service-based interventions, and governance strategies designed to ensure accountability and transparency.

The conversation around MacArthur Park is not solely about one district or one political figure. It reflects a national discourse on how cities respond to complex social challenges in a way that respects dignity while maintaining order and safety. The outcome will shape perceptions of public space management, influence adjacent neighborhoods, and set a precedent for how other communities balance compassion with accountability.

Evolving the strategy will require sustained collaboration among city agencies, community groups, and private sector partners. By integrating safety, health, and social services into a cohesive plan, Los Angeles can aim to restore MacArthur Park to its role as a vibrant, accessible public space that serves as a catalyst for neighborhood revitalization rather than a flashpoint for disagreement.

Public health experts emphasize that any long-term solution must prioritize harm-reduction principles, including accessible treatment options, clean-and-safe facilities for park users, and robust sanitation programs. The goal is to reduce overdoses and improve the park environment while preserving civil liberties and the dignity of individuals experiencing homelessness or addiction.

In the end, the MacArthur Park story is about more than a single park or a single council member. It is a reflection of how cities adapt to evolving social realities, allocate finite resources, and decide which values to foreground in the daily life of a shared urban space. The coming months will reveal whether policy shifts, community engagement, and targeted investments can reverse the park’s decline and restore it as a beacon of community life in the heart of Los Angeles.