LA Commercial Landlord Ending “Baby Shark” Melody to Prevent Homelessness

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LA Commercial Landlord Ending “Baby Shark” Melody to Prevent Homelessness

A common commercial building on the corner of 11th and main streets in downtown Los Angeles recently caught the attention of Los Angeles officials as they blew up the “baby shark” to stop homeless people.

Shalom Styles, owner of Styles Barber Lounge and a tenant of the building, said the landlord started playing the song on a speaker on Main Street Thursday, more than a year after the homeless camp that had been on the sidewalk on the sidewalk. This situation marks the latest attempt by property owners to stop homeless people from wandering or sleeping in business areas, which they say is a problem with threatening business.

“These are thriving businesses, and we don't need to put these things here here,” he said of homeless camps.

But by Monday, the children's songs (the frequent earworms) are no longer there. Styles said the landlord told him that police had received complaints about music and were at risk of being cited because they disrupted the peace. He said the landlord wanted to meet city officials before agreeing to close the music.

The landlord cannot be contacted immediately for comment. The Los Angeles Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

But a spokesperson for Congresswoman Ysabel Jurado included the area, which included the area, and he had a meeting with the landlord and LAPD, but did not provide further details.

“Our housing and homelessness crisis affects everyone in the city – as we navigate, I beg everyone to take care of and empathize,” Yurado said in a written statement. “My team and I focus on addressing these issues as a whole and plan to create lasting solutions to support our unwelcome population, but it’s important that we don’t ignore each other’s humanity as we grow.”

Daniel Cruz, a barber at Styles Barber Lounge, stood outside during a break at Styles Barber Lounge in Los Angeles, California on Monday, May 19, 2025.

(Carlin Stiehl/Los Angeles Times)

This is the response of Los Angeles Mission CEO Dennis Oleesky, who announced Monday that it plans to partner with Styles to host an event to provide free hair and beauty services to ruthless people in the city.

“We know that the homeless crisis creates stress on all sides – for those living on the streets and individuals who are business owners trying to operate in challenging conditions,” Olesky said. “We praise Shalom for his opportunity to turn frustration into service.”

Outreach workers will attend events to help people who want to leave the streets, Oleski said.

“We all saw what was going on in the city center and felt overwhelmed at times,” Styles said. “It’s the way we help, not just talk.”

Tensions have developed between business owners and homeless people over the past few years. 7-11 made headlines when it started playing loud classical music in 2019 Drive homeless people away from their stores. Other enterprises have deployed Growers and fences.

Although the city of Los Angeles' untransplanted population fell from 32,680 to 29,275 last year It is expected to decline again This year, residents and business owners continue to be frustrated by the city’s handling of the homeless crisis.

These frustrations have recently reached new levels of Court-ordered audit of homeless services in Los Angeles This found that the city and the Homeless Services Agency of Los Angeles lacked sufficient data systems and financial controls to monitor contract compliance and performance.

Then there is the recent investigation by The Times Sliding Housing Trust Fund The AIDS Healthcare Foundation revealed that the properties managed by the two nonprofits are plagued by heating, elevator and electricity failures and pest infestations.

More than a week ago, tenants of buildings that offer permanent housing support for tenants filed lawsuits against current and former landlords and real estate managers to create what they described “Bad living conditions. ”

Despite this, city officials kept making progress.

The pandemic hampered his plans when Styles arrived in Los Angeles in 2020 to open a barber shop. A year later, he said he was able to start cutting his hair, but by 2022 he and other barbers at the store began to have problems with homeless people in the area.

He said the children's songs that landlords have been playing are attempts to bring the city's attention to the problem of homelessness in the area.

Nearby, AT Angry groundwhere people vent their anger by breaking dishes and smashing cars, at least one homeless person defecates and urinates outside the business.

Karla Maldonado, 25, an employee of the business, said the man also tried to start the fire with garbage during the Palisades and Eaton fires in January.

“We tried to call 911, but they just hung on us,” she claimed.

Maldonado said she extinguished the flames with a bucket. Other homeless people along the alleys in the warehouse had stolen brooms and jobs, she said, and she said costs as much as $100 per person. She estimated at least 20 were stolen.

At the corner of the barber shop in Styles, there is a small campground where about six people live. Bicycle parts are placed on the sidewalk.

Kenneth Moore, Chy and B Daniels sat on the camp at the corner of STYLES BARBER LOUNGE.

Kenneth Moore, 68, expressed anger and frustration at the company's problems blamed him and others on the camp because the problems he said had nothing to do with the organization.

“If it's about breaking in, it's not us,” said Kenneth Moore, 68. “We don't tolerate it here, we fix bikes to survive.”

Billy Copeland, 55, passed the area with his dog and became interested in the group's conversations about homeless services.

Gu Lun said a few months ago he was sleeping on a street between Pico Boulevard and 15th Street when the cleaning crew was approaching his neighborhood. Having had enough, he refused to move.

“All they do is come and clean up and record people’s locations,” he said.

Copeland said he didn't get out of the situation until the workers could help him into the shelter. He said he is now in a small house in Eagle Rock, waiting for permanent housing.

“That was the only way I got help,” Gu Lun said. “I’m always here, providing my information, and all that happens is what they come out to bring me.”

Moore and others say that in some cases, they have been waiting to be placed in permanent housing.

A spokesman for Lahsa said the outreach team was at the camp a month ago. Some were placed in temporary housing but left, he said. It is not clear where they went. Lahsa is expected to return to camp on Tuesday.

Moore was tired of sitting on the waiting list and spreading around the city.

“Do you think we like this kind of life?” Moore said. “We don't.”