Monterey police host community meeting

More than 80 Monterey residents attended a community meeting hosted by Monterey police at Bay View Academy Thursday night. Four neighborhoods were invited and encouraged to voice their concerns.

Each community has its own issues, from bonfires at Del Monte Beach to event parking at the fairgrounds. But a majority of the people were focused on the homeless campsin Laguna Grande Park.

“For me it’s always kind of been a no-go area because of the crime and the trash,” said resident Scott Hanson.

Hanson, whohas lived near the park for five years, said it’s a beautiful area but it’s uncomfortable to walk through, not knowing what’s lurking behind the bushes.

Monterey police do regular patrols through the park but officers said it’s not an easy problem to handle.

“These people are part of our community. We understand that and were working toward assisting those people who need help,” said one Monterey police officer.

Police don’t just kick out the homeless people, they give themseven days to pick up and move once they come across a campsite. What makes Laguna Grande unique is that it’s a shared park between Monterey and Seaside.

“We do patrol hourly through there, breaking up the camps on a daily basis,” said one Seaside police officer.

Seaside has also hired a security company to patrol the park. But residents like Hanson said that’s not enough and something more needs to be done fast.

“I hope we can get some action going. Unfortunately we don’t have the luxury of time. It’s being degraded by the homeless population,” said Hanson.