fullscreen

eFinder

eFinder

Home › Privatization of Security › Article

Fed-up Venice residents hire ex-gang members to take back homeless ‘war zone’

Nypost · · 1289 words · By Jamie Paige
Privatization of Security Law and Order Failure of Municipal Government
headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing
Generate a natural audio summary of this story
Daily briefing

What to know about Privatization of Security

Fed-up Venice residents hire ex-gang members to take back homeless ‘war zone’ See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 11
Techniques found 5
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center0%
Right100%

1 source compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Fed-up Venice residents hire ex-gang members to take back homeless ‘war zone’ See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The California Post on Google Fed-up residents of an exclusive Venice Beach enclave have hired ex-gang members to do what the woke-addled, cash-strapped city can’t — battle back against a “war zone’’ of homelessness.

Common ground

“I don’t know what we would do without them,” Venice apartment owner Rick Swinger told the California Post of the former gangster enforcements.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Appeal to Fear: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/16/us-news/venice-residents-hire-ex-gangbangers-to-ba…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 5 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 100% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Name Calling / Labeling 90% confidence
Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Appeal to Fear 80% confidence
Building support by instilling anxiety or panic in the audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to fear helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Causal Oversimplification 70% confidence
Assuming a single cause for a complex issue.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing causal oversimplification helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Exaggeration / Hyperbole 80% confidence
Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 11 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5
info Single Source 3
help Insufficient Evidence 2
schedule Pending 1
info
Claim 1: “Luna said he himself struggled with alcohol for years before getting sober six years ago”
SINGLE SOURCE
While one source mentions Bobby Luna is a 'reformed alcoholic', the specific detail about struggling for years and getting sober 'six years ago' is not corroborated by a second independent source in the provided evidence.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — How to Stay Sober: 12 Tips for Your Recovery from VeryWellMind.com.
https://www.verywellmind.com/tips-for-staying-clean-and-sobe…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Story time of how I became sober from alcohol #alcoholic #alcoholism #fyp #getreadywithme #storytime #part1. Six months sober and the real realization is… I’ve been avoiding the question of what I act…
https://www.tiktok.com/discover/story-that-made-me-go-sober
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Sunflower. Alcohol. 5 days ago. I haven’t made it this long in over 10 years.
https://sunflowersober.com/alcohol/91-days-sober-from-alcoho…
schedule
Claim 2: “the number he says it needs to properly police the city has risen from 12,000 to 12,500”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 3: “monthly fee starting around $300 a pop”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific monthly fee of 'starting around $300' is only mentioned in the Pulptastic source. No other independent source confirms this specific pricing.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ghost Whisperer is an American supernatural television series, which ran on CBS from September 23, 2005, to May 21, 2010. The series follows the life of Melinda Gordon (Jennifer Love Hewitt), who has …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_Whisperer
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The third season of Ghost Whisperer, an American television series created by John Gray, commenced airing in the United States on September 28, 2007, concluded May 16, 2008, and was originally intende…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_Whisperer_season_3
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Wittenoom is a former mining town and a declared contaminated site, 1,420 kilometres (880 mi) north-north-east of Perth, in the Hamersley Range in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The declared…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wittenoom,_Western_Australia
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
Claim 4: “residents of an exclusive Venice Beach enclave have hired ex-gang members... [via] “Ghost Town Consultants’’ firm”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web sources (Pulptastic, TikTok investigation, and other news reports) confirm that Venice Beach residents hired 'Ghost Town Consultants', a firm employing former gang members.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Oakwood is a residential neighborhood that abuts the east side of Abbot Kinney Boulevard. It is within the larger neighborhood of Venice on the westside of Los Angeles, California. The area is noted a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakwood,_Los_Angeles
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Venice is a coastal city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the region of Veneto. It is built on a group of 126 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venice
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Venice 13 or West Side Venice 13, abbreviated as V13 or VX3, is a Mexican American street gang based in the Oakwood (aka "Ghost Town") neighborhood of Venice, a section of Los Angeles, California. It …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venice_13
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 5: “about 250 disgusted locals and a slew of businesses... have been paying the unconventional “Ghost Town Consultants’’ firm monthly”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific number of '250 locals and businesses' paying monthly fees is mentioned in one source (Pulptastic). While the existence of the firm is corroborated, the specific count of clients is not confirmed by a second independent source.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The BBC Television Shakespeare is a series of British television adaptations of the plays of William Shakespeare, created by Cedric Messina and broadcast by BBC Television. Transmitted in the UK from …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Television_Shakespeare
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The cinema of India, consisting of motion pictures made by the Indian film industry, has had a large effect on world cinema since the second half of the 20th century. India does not have a single nati…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_India
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Pacific Electric Railway Company, nicknamed the Red Cars, was a privately owned mass transit system in Southern California consisting of electrically powered streetcars, interurban railway cars, a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Electric
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 6: “Dennis Zine, a former Los Angeles city councilman who spent decades with the LAPD and still serves as a reserve officer”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding Dennis Zine's current status as a reserve officer or his specific history as a city councilman.
check_circle
Claim 7: “a group of roughly 12 people including founders Bobby Luna and Ricky Myers”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm the firm was founded by Bobby Luna and Ricky Myers. One source specifically mentions the company has 'about a dozen workers', corroborating the 'roughly 12 people' claim.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Anthony Michael Bourdain ( bor-DAYN; June 25, 1956 – June 8, 2018) was an American celebrity chef, author, and travel documentarian. He starred in programs focusing on the exploration of international…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Bourdain
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Robert Nelson Fite (born October 22, 1968) is an American former film and television actor. Beginning his professional career as a child actor and model at the age of six, Fite is perhaps best known f…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Fite
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Tracker is an American action drama television series developed by Ben H. Winters and based on the 2019 novel The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver. The series stars Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw, a skille…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracker_(American_TV_series)
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
Claim 8: “Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva... is now running for the office again”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm Alex Villanueva is running for office again, with one source specifying a run for LA County Sheriff in 2026 and another mentioning a bid for the Board of Supervisors.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Alejandro "Alex" Villanueva is an American former law enforcement officer who served as the 33rd sheriff of Los Angeles County, California from 2018 until 2022.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Villanueva
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Former LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva is looking to unseat current sheriff Robert Luna in the 2026 election.LOS ANGELES - Alex Villanueva wants his old job back. The former LA County sheriff offici…
https://www.foxla.com/news/alex-villanueva-2026-sheriff-run
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva is running for office again, this time setting his sights on the Board of Supervisors. Villanueva scheduled a news conference for Wednesday morning to…
https://www.yahoo.com/news/former-sheriff-alex-villanueva-ru…
check_circle
Claim 9: “LAPD is struggling with a severe staffing shortage”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources report that the LAPD is facing staffing shortages, with one source mentioning ranks dwindling to their lowest levels in two decades and another mentioning an inability to answer high volumes of calls.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Official Website of the City of Los Angeles.E-mail. contact.lapdonline@lapd.online. Phone Directory.
https://lacity.gov/directory/police-department
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The LAPD alone has spent $265.5 million on overtime in 2024, leading to serious concerns over effective service delivery amidst staffing shortages that have seen ranks dwindle to their lowest levels i…
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/money-machine-newsletter_the-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Los Angeles, Califoria Police Department has announced that they do not have enough officers to answer the high volume of calls for serious crimes being committed. ##news ##cops ##|a###california ###t…
https://www.tiktok.com/discover/la-county-sheriff-shortage
check_circle
Claim 10: “Ricky Myers was homeless at 15 and was once a gangster in the Oakwood neighborhood of Venice”
CORROBORATED
Two independent sources explicitly state that Ricky Myers was homeless at 15 and was previously a gangster in the Oakwood neighborhood of Venice.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Venice residents hire former gang members to clear homeless camps as Los Angeles fails to restore order.Ghost Town has about a dozen workers. Myers was homeless at 15 and has said he once ran with gan…
https://redstate.com/ben-smith/2026/08/18/under-newsom-and-b…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Fed-up Venice residents hire ex-gang members to take back homeless ‘war zone’.Jonathan Alcorn for CA Post. Luna is a reformed alcoholic with deep Venice ties, and Ricky Myers was homeless at 15 and wa…
https://nypost.com/2026/08/16/us-news/venice-residents-hire-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — We met a homeless man on the street with no clothes, no shoes, and no one to turn to. He had been living on the streets, forgotten by the world. Today, we decided to change that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpjRl0XlAL4
help
Claim 11: “LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell told The Post in July that the force had shrunk by about 200 cops since February, to 8,550”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results to confirm the specific numbers (8,550 officers) or the statement attributed to Chief Jim McDonnell.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.