[KHTS] Hours after the Santa Clarita Valley’s only homeless shelter closed its doors for the season, Sheriff’s Station officials conducted another river wash operation.
Focusing their efforts on Canyon Country this time around, deputies began clearing out the Santa Clara River wash, starting on the east end of town, around 7 a.m. Monday.
“(Sheriff’s deputies) cleared out five encampments,” said Gail Morgan, Santa Clarita city spokeswoman, who said the operations are part of a concerted, coordinated effort between the county agencies that service the homeless population, the city and the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.
Bridge to Home, which operates the Santa Clarita Valley’s homeless shelter, was also there offering services, she added.
Two citations were issued for trespassing, but no arrests were made, according to Sheriff’s Station officials.
Most of the encampments had been cleared out by the time officials arrived.
File Photo
Santa Clarita officials again contracted with construction crews to clear the areas affected by the encampments, Morgan said. In accordance with state law, the property would be stored by the city for 90 days.
“This is an ongoing effort,” Morgan said. “Last time was Valencia, today was Canyon Country. We’ll be moving to other parts of the city, and in the meantime, we’re coming back and addressing the parts that we’ve cleaned — so it’s part of an ongoing operation.”
A homeless shelter operates in Santa Clarita from November, around Thanksgiving, to Mid-March.
The shelter’s most recent season ended Sunday, and recent figures available indicate the shelter operates at or near capacity every night of operation.
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7 Comments
Its very sad to take away all someone has when they are homeless. There is NO justification for taking the belongings of the homeless. If you point to a law or a city ordinances then you point to complete cowardice. Mental illness and drug addiction are NOT life choices. This is sad ,sad ,sad.
Furthermore, if you want to affect positive change here’s just a couple of ideas: First, take all the local drug dealers that peddle poison to our children and publically hang them or shoot them with a firing squad. Secondly create “dignity centers” where the homeless can bathe, do laundry and accept food and clothing and toiletries that have been donated by the community. There’s a start.
I am SO happ to live in an area with great Christian values. Close the shelter, then use the local police to kick out the people who are now deemed criminals because they are poor. Jesus would be proud. Shame on all of you.
What happened to the PEOPLE? The property is being stored! Are the people also being “stored”!!
It is so sad that we have only one shelter. Also sad that it closes down, where are families supposed to go when thet need some help??
Not only is this unconstitutional to do this to the poor people this is not america the lanf of the free!!This is communist america!!These people are in the worst situation and to target yhem and strip them of what little they have should be a crime dont thede people take an oath to uphold the constitution is not a federal crime to brake that oath?I know for a fact it is we dont have to take this abuse of power we are Americans!!
I would also remind the deputies involved in this and more importantly the people that ordered them to do this terrible thing that none of us, you included, are so far away from being a homeless person living in a wash. All it takes is a lost job, an unexpected illness, or some other financial catastrophe and you too could find yourself being herded out of that wash with your belongings destroyed. None of us are different from the people in the wash in any way that really matters. Consider mercy as an option.