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Police clearing out unauthorized new homeless camp at Gateway Plaza

ross camp clearing take 2
KION

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION) Santa Cruz police are at Gateway Plaza clearing out an unauthorized homeless camp at the site.

The city said police are clearing the site out this time because people are trespassing. The city said people at the site broke through a locked gate and tried to move into city property.

After closing the fence, the city said they will have security so nobody returns.

Those being cleared out are being given other options, according to the city. They are being directed to two homeless shelters and being given motel vouchers.

Gateway Plaza is the site of the former Ross camp that was shut down and cleared out in May. Earlier this week, tents began to reappear at the site.

Homeless advocates told KION it is because of a lack of winter shelters in the city, and they are calling it a "survival camp."

"We have established a Homeless Union-sanctioned survival camp due to the lack of winter shelter and lack of shelter in general in the city and county of Santa Cruz," said Alicia Kuhl, the California Homeless Union Santa Cruz chapter president.. 

She said this time around, they asked people who stay there to follow a set of basic rules in an effort to keep the camp open. This includes no violence, no theft and no use of drugs or alcohol in or around the camp.

The city said the camp is not authorized and that there are alternatives, including two sites run by the Salvation Army that have current vacancies. Police and the city said they are working to keep the camp from reforming because the last one had significant health and public safety issues. The idea behind that reasoning is that if it did not work last time, why would it work this time?

“We’re not going to tolerate activists that are encouraging people to live in that location,” Santa Cruz Police Chief Andy Mills said.

Mills also told KION police already made a drug arrest at the camp Wednesday.

In two weeks, City Council will discuss creating a camping ordinance which would help police control the growing number of tents.

“You shouldn’t have a tent up during the day,” Mills said. “It doesn’t make sense. You’re occupying space that’s really for the entire city, both residents and homeless, as well as people coming to visit our city.”

Police said the city needs to provide some storage options such as barrels for belongings, too.
In total, there are seven ordinances that will be rolled out aimed at solving some issues, but the chief acknowledges this will only be the start.

“The mental health and the drug addiction piece is what’s driving this, and there has to be a bigger discussion about this on the county, the state and the local level,” Mills said.

Article Topic Follows: News
gateway plaza
homeless
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Avery Johnson

Avery Johnson is the Digital Content Director at KION News Channel 5/46.

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