L.A. police launch operation on 6th Street Bridge following crime string

A new $588 million bridge hailed as a colorful beacon of hope for downtown Los Angeles was closed for the fourth night in five as police battled vandalism and dangerous street stunts.
A new $588 million bridge hailed as a colorful beacon of hope for downtown Los Angeles was closed for the fourth night in five as police battled vandalism and dangerous street stunts. Photo credit Jill Connelly/Bloomberg via Getty Images

LOS ANGELES (KNX) — The Los Angeles Police Department will launch a traffic enforcement operation on the newly opened 6th Street Bridge after many have flocked for street takeovers and other antics.

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@KNXNews Photo credit @KNXNews

"Due to recent illegal activity and various safety concerns occurring on the 6th Street Viaduct, the Los Angeles Police Department's Operations Central Bureau will be conducting a traffic enforcement operation to ensure safe passage and movement along the bridge itself," LAPD officials wrote in a release.

Officials said the bridge will be subject to closures but hope to reopen them quickly.

The LAPD added that the operation hopes to deter criminal activity and arrest anyone violating the law. Officers will also investigate previous illegal activity along the bridge.

The renovated bridge, which opened to great fanfare earlier this month and cost the city nearly $600 million, has been a frequent target of burnouts, sideshows, takeovers, and other illegal activity, such as a person getting a haircut in the middle of the road. As a result, authorities closed the bridge earlier this week for several consecutive days.

The LA City Council's Public Works Committee recommended that the council approve more than $700 thousand for the next 12 months to continue removing graffiti on the bridge.

More than $376 thousand of that budget will go to paying employees and covering equipment costs, supplies, and administrative things.

The operation will happen on Sunday between 2 p.m. and 10 p.m.

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Featured Image Photo Credit: Jill Connelly/Bloomberg via Getty Images