West Hollywood shopping center installs chirping device to discourage homeless from camping out. Will it work?

[Zorro]

- A West Hollywood shopping center has installed a device known as the BlueChirper to deter homeless people from hanging out in a stairwell.
- The device emits a loud chirping sound and flashing blue lights when anyone walks past.

Some customers walking out of the West Hollywood Trader Joe’s wear an annoyed look on their face, and it has nothing to do with rising grocery prices.

The source of the irritation is a small blue box installed in a stairwell leading to the market, the latest tactic used by property owners to deter unhoused people from camping out in the area.

The motion-activated device chatters like a loud, anxious cricket as people pass by the shopping center.

“It’s so annoying,” Jeffrey Howard said as he left the market with his groceries. “It’s like an alarm from a smoke detector that you’re just waiting for somebody to turn off.”

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-05-29/west-hollywood-shopping-center-unveils-new-device-to-discourage-homeless-from-camping-out-will-it-work