Vermin Infestation Halts Senior Food Program at Compton Neighborhood Center

According to the Center for Disease Controls in Atlanta, rodents feed on debris, so it comes in contact with many diseases. Rodents are known vectors of more than 34 diseases, including the Plague, Salmonella, and Rabies.

By Brian Hews

A major vermin invasion at the Neighborhood Center in Compton has prompted the Los Angeles County Environmental Health Services Department to halt all meals from being served for members of the senior community until at least November, Hews Media Group-Community Newspaper has learned.

On October 8, the Oldtimers Senior Food Program was ordered to stop preparing food at the popular senior facility in Compton that is located at 600 North Alameda by county health inspectors.

City Manager Harold Duffy informed Mayor Aja Brown and other members of the Compton City Council last Friday about the situation in a two-page memo that HMG-CN obtained.

Duffy said four main violations were cited against the program.

They include vermin infestation; knowingly preparing food surrounded by infestation of vermin; not following standard food preparation guidelines and safety check sheets, as well as failure to complete a corrective active plan on issues that were previously identified in early inspection reports.

Duffy told Mayor Brown and other city elected officials in his memo that “the city of Compton, acting as the landlord, has started to address the vermin and facility maintenance issues.”

This map shows the incorporated areas in Los Angeles County, California. Compton is highlighted in red. I created it in Inkscape using data from the Los Angeles County Website (Los Angeles County Incorporated Area and District Map (PDF). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

City officials in Compton began working on the problem last Monday, October 6 and it is expected that final treatments will be completed on Monday, October 27.

According to officials with the Center of Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Vermin Infestation can be noticed even if the rodents are not visible.

“Most often, the business owner doesn’t actually see the rodent in his/her environment. Rather, there are signs that indicate its presence, including, rodent droppings, unexplained chew marks, scratching or scampering noises, nesting materials found and damage to electrical wiring or plumbing,” the CDC website warns.