VA Adds 24-Hour Security at West L.A. Campus as 6,000-Veteran Housing Plan Exposes Policing Gap
Updated
Updated · Los Angeles Times · Jun 26
VA Adds 24-Hour Security at West L.A. Campus as 6,000-Veteran Housing Plan Exposes Policing Gap
1 articles · Updated · Los Angeles Times · Jun 26
Summary
June brought a private security firm to the West L.A. VA campus for 24-hour sentry posts and roving patrols, while the VA also announced national police reforms including higher entry-level pay.
The stopgap follows a jurisdictional vacuum on leased housing where LAPD lacks authority, sheriff’s deputies rarely respond, and VA police say federal rules limit enforcement of state law.
Veterans and advocates say that gap has left crimes effectively uninvestigated, citing a death last September in which a body reportedly lay unsecured for more than 10 hours while burglars entered the room.
VA officials told Congress they had raised Greater Los Angeles VA police staffing from the 50s and 60s last year to more than 80, with a goal of 160, but former officials doubt pay changes alone will solve recruiting.
The pressure is growing as the north campus expands from hundreds of residents toward a Trump-ordered National Center for Warrior Independence intended to house 6,000 veterans.
Can private security solve a crisis caused by federal rules that tie the hands of VA police on leased land?
With a record budget, why are veterans on the West LA campus left unprotected in a lawless gray zone?
West LA VA Campus in Crisis: Security Gaps, Housing Shortfalls, and the Struggle to House 6,000 Veterans by 2028
Overview
The West LA VA campus is facing a critical security vacuum as of June 2026, with over 1,200 veterans—potentially rising to 6,000—living on-site without enough support staff. This severe lack of supportive services puts tenant safety, sobriety, and mental health at risk, raising fears that the property could become a vast West Side skid row. Despite the opening of affordable housing units, many homeless veterans still live in cars and tents around the campus, and some apartments are infested with roaches, creating public health concerns. Immediate measures have been taken, but fundamental challenges remain.