In Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, Venice, and San Diego, a wave of young homeless people are causing problems for tourist dependent sections of these cities because of their aggressive and sometimes violent behavior. Aggressive panhandling, drug use, threats with weapons, public urination and defecation, theft.
Experts say very few of the urban travelers are violent, and for most, this isn’t a lifestyle of choice. Over half are homeless because they were kicked out or were fleeing violence at home.
Still, the problem is big enough for these beach communities to respond by hiring private security, issuing tick-tacky citations and installing security cameras.
While some of those dealing with this problem are sympathetic to the urban travelers and do not want to criminalize homeless, they feel this is matter of public safety and must also safeguard the reputation of their communities in the media.
Why young homeless travelers aren’t welcome in tourist cities – LA Times
Civvis 