Already unsettled by the likely departure of the mayor, an upcoming election and a contentious redistricting process, the City Council must decide what to do about Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas.
By contrast, the criminal charges against Ridley-Thomas are still new. Mayor Garcetti, attending a groundbreaking for a homeless housing development in North Hollywood, declined to say whether Ridley-Thomas should step down, calling the matter “the City Council’s prerogative.”
Earl Ofari Hutchinson, president of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable, said city leaders should not rush to judgment. Ridley-Thomas played a huge role in developing the city’s “street engagement” strategy, which sends outreach workers to homeless encampments to persuade people to accept offers of shelter and other city services.s in certain public spaces, adding language aimed at limiting the involvement of law enforcement.
Councilman Paul Krekorian questioned whether a council member can continue to do that job while also facing federal indictment. And Councilwoman Nithya Raman went further, saying Ridley-Thomas should lose his committee assignments — at least for now. The indictment of Ridley-Thomas arrives at a volatile moment in the city’s politics. Some elected leaders, who are either running for reelection or seeking higher office, have begun criticizing one another on the campaign trail and during public meetings.
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