Compton orders residents to stop fixing potholes on their own

After getting tired of waiting, Compton residents decided to take matters into their own hands by filling in troublesome potholes. 

"We did it because it was affecting us directly," resident Daisy de la Rosa said. "We wanted to do something for the community and the community started pitching in."

However, the City of Compton took issue with that, claiming it was against the city code. They sent cease and desist letters to residents, ordering them to stop the makeshift construction projects. 

"The City of Compton understands the frustration felt by our residents and share their concerns regarding the state of our roads, however, we urge caution and emphasize we do not want residents risking their personal safety," the city stated. 

De la Rosa said the city has had a pervasive pothole problem for several years, but only proliferated since the heavy rains started pounding Los Angeles County in the past couple of years. The city said it is trying to fill the potholes, but their Public Works Department is critically understaffed.

"Our Public Works Department is currently critically understaffed, and efforts are underway to recruit vacant positions. Despite these staffing shortages, the City's Street Division team is still actively working to fill potholes on a monthly basis," city officials wrote.

The city asked residents to leave the road repairs to trained professionals. 

"We appreciate the care residents have for the community, but we stress the importance of leaving road repairs to trained professionals," the city wrote. "Addressing infrastructure issues remains a top priority for the City of Compton, and we encourage residents to continue reporting road concerns by downloading the City of Compton's official app to inform the City of the pothole's exact location."