Overview
- Mayor Karen Bass said on Thursday that she knows people sleeping on the streets have used methamphetamine to stay awake at night because they feared being assaulted, and she later clarified the remark when reporters pressed her.
- The comment prompted immediate online backlash and sharp opinion criticism that accused her of excusing drug use instead of focusing on addiction and public safety.
- Reporting ties the exchange to an ongoing policy fight over harm-reduction programs after a federal drug raid at MacArthur Park in May and Bass's expressed support for ending syringe distribution there, even though local checks found the syringe program still operating.
- County health officials reported that methamphetamine was involved in nearly 60% of overdose deaths in 2025, a fact commentators and critics used to question the administration's approach to addiction and street disorder.
- The episode has political stakes for Bass's reelection bid because critics say it highlights perceived failures on homelessness and safety, opinion writers pointed to low approval ratings in recent polls, and the city continues to spend more than $1 billion a year on homelessness programs.