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George Frem, a Lebanese-American immigrant who owns Mar Vista-area business Exclusive Motors, joined Fox News where he detailed the struggle to get the sprawling camp out of his way, even after a 2020 court ruling declaring it must go. He states that it’s “easier to send a rocket to the moon” than to solve the homeless crisis in Los Angeles. Frem said the first homeless person camped outside his business nearly 10 years ago, but he chose not to cause a stir over the problem. He said he believed politicians would listen to his concerns and act accordingly, but it has yet to manifest.
George Frem’s Fox News Interview
US Shop owners across US take action as homeless camps threaten business safety
George Frem’s security cameras have seen it all: shootings, drug use, fights. Frem himself was even assaulted at his Exclusive Motors in the Mar Vista area of Los Angeles, he said. At the time, Frem believed he’d found the perfect location to service his high-end clients on the west side of town.
But that was before a homeless encampment took up residence across the street. Now, instead of luxury vehicles, trash and approximately two dozen tents line both sides of the formerly busy thoroughfare, scaring away any hope of new business.
One of LA's most notorious homeless encampments cleared under 405 Freeway
As the homeless crisis has expanded, so has this encampment, which has been the scene of shootings, drug deals, overdose deaths, fires - all impacting the surrounding neighborhood including Exclusive Motors owned by George Frem.
"We changed the narrative from saying, this used to be something that is OK and today, everybody is saying this is not OK. I'm not worried about me. I'm happy about people are going to stop dying on the streets, and families are going to be reunited," said Frem.
Neighbors Upset With Shower Hookup for Homeless Encampment
A hole in the ground may be proof to city leaders they're trying to move heaven and earth to respond to the homeless crisis.A crew got a call for emergency sewer repair Thursday, and it turns out they're laying the groundwork to install a public shower hookup on the corner of Globe Avenue and Venice Boulevard—right in front of George Frem's business Exclusive Motors.
"We used to think that they are incompetent, but now we understand that they have a totally different agenda," said Frem.
Sobbing beneath a guitar strapped safely on her back, Qwin is devastated. It’s clean-up day at her encampment under the 405 freeway, and her shopping cart ended up in a garbage truck. This is the city’s new approach to a public health crisis. Sanitation crews called CARE teams work with outreach workers from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) to clear human waste and garbage from city sidewalks. “This is the second time they’ve thrown all my stuff away,” the 26-year-old homeless musician said. The first time, she lost a warm sleeping bag. This time, it was stuff most of us take for granted: batteries, flashlights, clothes, and bleach.
Inside "Clean up Day" at a Venice Blvd Encampment
Serious crimes involving at least one homeless person rose 52 percent from 2017 to 2018, according to a new report from the Los Angeles Police Department, while crime decreased two percent citywide. In 2017, there were 4,400 Part 1 crimes where a homeless person was either a suspect or a victim. Just one year later, the number skyrocketed to 6,671 Part 1 crimes involving the homeless, the report said.
“It’s not getting better. It’s getting worse at a very fast pace,” said George Frem, who owns Exclusive Motors. His surveillance cameras recently caught a shooting outside his business at the encampment across the street.
Crime among the homeless explodes in Los Angeles
Meet the Man Whose Lawsuit is Reshaping LA’s Homeless Crisis
There are so many tents and tarps along Venice Boulevard under the 405 freeway, it is hard to estimate how many people call the stretch of sidewalk home. The tents line both sides of the busy artery, and people often sprint between oncoming cars to visit neighbors on the other side.
“They reached the ultimate disaster but trust me, our city officials are very creative. They’ll find a new way to make it worse,” said George Frem, whose business, Exclusive Motors, faces the encampment.
He has kept a close eye on his neighbors for year. His security cameras have captured shootings, open drug use and lots of anti-social behavior. It was all bad for business: he has gone from repairing 1,000 cars a year to about 600. He says he lost contracts because vendors worried his parking lot is unsafe. Customers are afraid to walk on the sidewalk. But all that is about to change because of Frem’s lawsuit against Los Angeles County and the city.
I-Team Shows Dire Homeless Conditions in LA's Skid Row Ahead of Next Storm
As heavy rains showered the city this week, LA Mayor Karen Bass pushed ahead with her promise to get some of the homeless off the streets and into motel rooms, as part of her "Inside Safe" program.
Less than a month after announcing the program, the Mayor's office says more than 100 homeless people have accepted housing, as outreach efforts focused on Venice, where encampments have appeared next to luxury condos--and in Hollywood, one of LA's tourist meccas.
"This is the worst it's ever been," said George Frem about the encampment next to his car repair business on Venice Blvd under the 405 freeway, where trash overflows into the street and where there have been numerous shootings.
Caught On Camera: Shooting At Mar Vista Homeless Encampment
"Our camera recorded it. That's why you have it. But all the time we hear shootings. All the time there's prostitution. There's drug sales," said George Frem, owner of the auto repair shop.
Frem blames the city for not doing enough. "Their burden is coming on me first. Not on the City of Los Angeles. These are the people that run to me. They use me as their restroom," said Frem. Residents say they feel like prisoners in their own homes. Those who can say they plan to move out.
"It's becoming a point where it's just out of control," said a resident.
Videos of George Frem’s Media and News Interviews
George Frem vs Los Angeles Interviews and More
George Frem Interview with ABC
Encampment Outside of Exclusive Motors
George Frem News Interview
Videos of George Frem’s Experience with the Homeless Outside Exclusive Motors
Drug Sale Outside of Exclusive Motors
Public Defecation on Exclusive Motor Property
Public Defecation Around Property
Destruction of Property
Fight Occurring with Hammer
Drug Abuse Outside of Property
Continued Drug Abuse Around Exclusive Motors
Public Urination on Police Car After Bridge Cleanup was Let Go
Homeless Man Assaults George Frem
Drug Abuse Outside of Exclusive Motors
Damaging Exclusive Motor Employee Vehicle
Defecation Right Outside Exclusive Motors
Public Defecation Between Cars
Homeless Encampment Shooting Outside Exclusive Motors
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