Mayor Karen Bass is the newest member of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Commission.

The LA City Council appointed Bass earlier this month, and she is the first Los Angeles mayor to serve on the 10-member commission that oversees hundreds of millions of dollars in homelessness spending.

Homelessness is one of the top issues that leaders in Southern California have been discussing, including LA City Councilwoman Traci Park.

On this week’s “In Focus SoCal,” host Tanya McRae sits down with Park to discuss various projects she has implemented to fight homelessness since she was elected last year, including the cleanup of a large encampment in Playa del Rey on Jefferson Boulevard, along the Ballona Wetlands.

“It’s work that I am incredibly proud of because you point to a number of issues with that particular encampment, which was well known around the city. That is a state-protected habitat area that had had a history of fires,” said Park. “There had been a history of violent crime and shootings. And there was a lot of community concern about the environmental degradation that we were seeing in the last remaining patchwork of coastal wetlands here locally.”

Park also introduced a motion in the City Council to regulate vehicle dwelling around locations like homes, schools and parks.

“But the reality is that we’re going to have to make room to absorb some of these vehicles while we are working on the long-term solutions, including safe parking and permanent housing solutions for folks,” Park said.

McRae also sits down with LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger to discuss the county’s zero-bail policy that went into effect at the beginning of October.

She said she has concerns surrounding the new law that will allow most people who are arrested on suspicion of nonviolent and non-serious offenses to be released from custody rather than kept in jail while they await arraignment.

“It told me that we need to do a better job of really screening individuals that are being cited and released,” said Barger. “On paper, it may look like a minor offense. But in reality, we saw with a smash and grab, there were individuals that had been cited and released, and were back on the street doing it again the next day.”

Barger also commented on the murder of Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer in Palmdale last month.

“This is really impacting not only the sheriff’s department but law enforcement as a community. This was a bold and unwarranted attack on a public servant,” said Barger. 

Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio joins “In Focus SoCal” to discuss her legislative victories this year.

Gov. Newsom signed AB 1171 to empower legal and fully licensed cannabis operators to petition the court to issue an injunction against non-license operators. Newsom also signed AB 479, which extends the sunset date of an existing 6-county pilot program that provides an alternative program for individuals convicted of domestic violence. 

“I think we can really work toward a place where we don’t have domestic violence anymore,” Rubio said.

Send us your thoughts to InFocusSoCal@charter.com and watch at 9 a.m. and noon Sunday.