When It Comes To Policing LA's Skid Row, What Tactics Work?

Enlarge this image toggle caption Kelly McEvers Kelly McEvers

Thousands of people live in roughly 50 square blocks of Los Angeles known as Skid Row. Many are homeless and live on the street, while others live in shelters or short-term hotels.

Some of the city's most vulnerable people — many of them black — are concentrated in this area, and questions of how police should interact with people on Skid Row arise frequently. In the spring of 2015, the fatal police shooting of an unarmed man on Skid Row thrust that discussion back into the spotlight.

Many of the people protesting shootings by police across the country argue the approaches of police are the problem. They say the tactics are too harsh and especially hard on African-American people. Police, however, say civilians don't understand what they're up against.

On this episode of Embedded, Kelly McEvers goes to Skid Row — one of the most challenging places in the country for police to work — to explore policing tactics.

To hear more of this story, listen to Embedded. Keep up with podcast host Kelly McEvers on Twitter at @kellymcevers, and join the conversation using the hashtag #NPREmbedded.