Santa Cruz city leaders discussing curfew for Main Beach

Growing fears of another possible “Ross-sized” homeless camp at Main Beach in Santa Cruz is leading to discussions of an overnight curfew.

The overnight curfew would shut down the dry part of the beach from midnight to sunrise.

Residents say the camp has grown from a few tents to more than a dozen.

“I’m down here playing volleyball a lot so I see them all the time,” says Santa Cruz resident, Madelin Smith. “A lot of the time they’re minding their own business or they’ll start heckling. They’re always there.

The big concerns residents have is that there may be needles left behind from the homeless or human waste, especially at a popular beach like Main Beach.

As for those who are trying to catch an early surf or walk on the beach?

The exact language of the curfew provides the “understanding” that “the wet sand portion of the beach will remain open to the public 24 hours a day in accordance with all currently applicable rules for beach use and for all uses by members of the public for which the beach may currently be used.”

In other words: No camping, alcohol, smoking, etc.

In the city’s agenda report, Santa Cruz Police bring up the size of the beach and the difficulty in patrolling it, especially overnight.

The beach also leaves them way from their vehicles, which can create a problem if they’re needed immediately elsewhere.

Smith says it’s almost routine that the homeless are at Main Beach or anywhere in Santa Cruz, now, especially since the Ross camp closed in May.

“I don’t feel unsafe but you always have to be on your guard,” says Smith. “Not to say they’ll be violent or anything but you just never know.”

In public correspondence sent to the city one resident said the following: “We have a homeless population. Until you do something to alleviate that, you’ll just keep chasing them around.”