#2,371 - Hollywood business owners upset over city's removal of planters used to deter homeless encampments

Business owners and residents in Los Angeles criticized the city's decision to remove planters that locals said greatly reduced crime in the area.

"I think it's a really terrible thing that they're doing because those planters were there to keep the encampments away," Hollywood resident Jacqui Antebi told NBC4 Los Angeles.

Crews of workers removed the planters along Highland Boulevard in Hollywood on Monday after the city found that the planters were erected without proper approval from the government. Local business owners and residents initially put up planters in May to prevent homeless encampments from taking over the area, according to the report.