Anaheim Councilwoman Lucille Kring toured the illegal homeless encampment along the Santa Ana River Trail on August 31 and posted about her visit on Facebook. Among the camp inhabitants she met was this gentleman – an ex-felon who had been released from Missouri state prison and is now living in the lawless squatters camp that sprawls for six-plus miles along the Santa Ana River. He had been shot in the foot a month earlier:
Welcome to the Santa Ana River Trail!
Kring stated in her post:
“My tour of the riverbed homeless encampment yesterday made my commitment to close this illegal encampment even stronger. This is basically a prison yard with no rules. Drug use and sales of drugs are rampant and being controlled by the local gangs “shot callers” The majority of the people here are early release criminals victimizing the small minority that want help. “
Here is Councilwoman Kring’s post:
Contrary to the narrative being spun by homeless advocates, their enablers and the misguided, those homeless who are simply down on their luck and anxious for a hand up to self-reliance are a minority of those living on the river. According to an memo from the Orange Police Department – the only law enforcement agencies that conducts enforcement on the SART – to City of Orange leaders, “the portion of the homeless population who are not living in the streets by choice and would like to find permanent shelter and/or work to support themselves” is “estimated to be less than two percent of the homeless [the OPD’s H.E.A.R.T. officers] contact.”
Two percent.
As the OPD memo states, the bulk of the encampment residents are the “criminal element…engaged in illegal activity including narcotic usage and sales, theft, assault, public intoxication and indecency and other crimes,” and those who “do not want public assistance or shelter. They choose to live outdoors and their basic needs are met. Most refuse shelters due to rules they are required to abide by. No alcohol or drugs are allowed and most have a curfew without the freedom to come and go as they choose.”
These are not those “experiencing homelessness” or “our folks who are in the condition of homelessness” (the politically-correct euphemism relentlessly employed by Councilman Jose F. Moreno). Such disingenuous phraseology implies being homeless is like catching the flu, rather than – as in many, if not mot, cases – the end result of bad choices or a lifetime of bad habits.
Absolutely help those who want and will accept help. But those who will not, cannot be allowed to illegally live in parks.
Tonight is Anaheim’s opportunity to lead the way by approving Operation Home Safe and bringing to bear what has been the missing component on this issue: enforcement of the law. Â Thus far, the approach has been lots of carrot and little-to-no-stick. Human nature is unchanging, and the reality is people need deadlines. Informing SART homeless encampment denizens that there is a date certain beyond which they cannot live on the river trail will have the effect of concentrating minds and forcing necessary life decisions.
The homeless advocates will doubtless be Uber-ing encampment residents to tonight’s Anaheim City Council meeting in a last-ditch effort to stave off enforcement of the law on the river trail.
However, a meeting of nearly 200 Anaheim residents last week- primarily from District 5 and 3 – with Mayor Tom Tait and Councilman Steve Faessel vividly illustrated, the people of Anaheim are fed up and want the law enforced. They want their parks and neighborhoods back. They are tired of excuses, double-talk, task forces and dialogue. They want action and leadership from their elected leaders.
The will of the people of Anaheim is loud, clear and unambiguous on this issue. If the new council majority wants to walk all the “People’s Council” talk, they’ll unanimously approve Operation Home Safe.
The vagrants camping along SART do not belong to a city council meeting!! This is strictly for the residents and business owners who are beyond “fed-up”!! Pick a date to have them GONE! Give us back our trail!!
Hi. I have to disagree with your accretion the the squatters on the Riverbank should not be welcomed to the CC meeting. They may have some pretty articulate people show up that have important information that hasn’t been considered. The key is to explore all available resources for as much data as they can muster for a project of this size and scope. Cheers
Sorry if you think that was my point. Of course the have a right to attend the council meeting and speak.
I know what you meant, Matthew. I’ve been frustrated many more times than you have, I bet! Have a good evening, Pal. 🇺🇸🍀
GA: We have heard it all before. It is an illegal encampment rife with crime. There is nothing left to talk about. Accept a hand up or you will be dealt with according to the law.
No more studying, talking, accessing, task forcing or cajoling, accept help or be dealt with according to the law.
We are done. We all have to abide by our laws or we have lawlessness.
CLEAR THE TRAIL. CLEAR OUR BUS STOPS. CLEAR OUR PARKING LOTS. CLEAR OUR CITY.
I agree fully. However, until the Leadership of both City and County muster the will to get this monster moving, all vested people should keep the issue at the fore and reiterate the known and present that, that may not be known. Once again, ideally the jig is up and the process should be adjudicated. and executed. But the powers to be seem a little preoccupied by the logistics and the reality that SART will still have to address the status of those not yet willing to abandon their vagabond lifestyle. I hope this clarifies my observations.
Blasting this publicly MADE our leadership ACT. We must also not forget how long it took this council to act. How much money has been spent “studying” the situation. How much money was spent and time wasted “task forcing” this issue. As the council and their appointees “studied” the issue the illegal encampments were ALLOWED to grow. jose moreno even lobbied for the idea of portable toilets on this illegal encampments. We must not forget, and continue to dialogue about, and then vote with this situation in mind. When this illegal encampment was being visited, by our leaders and their chosen appointees, why did they not see, or represent, the reality of the issue. Why did they not hear the pleadings of those living along the river bed, owning a business nearby, or individuals that wanted to enjoy the river bed for recreation? We need to keep this issue in the media spot light because that is the only time we got any responsive actions. We need to keep this issue in the media spot light until it is resolved by its clearing. Shame on our leaders, the city, the county for allowing this to happen and then grow.
Shame on our leaders, the city, the county for allowing the citizens living around the areas to be living with their families in such an unsafe environment.
Shame on our leaders, the city, the county for allowing the businesses to have to operate under these conditions.
Shame on our leaders, the city, the county for allowing the recreational river bed to be taken away from the public and to be used for an illegal encampment.
Shame on our leaders, the city, the county for allowing the encampment to grow to the proportions that it has even as those living/working around the area begged for help.
Shame on our leaders, the city, the county for allowing this at all.
Shame on our leaders, the city, the county to only expedite real action only when the media gets a hold of the issue and it relects back onto them.
Thank you Anaheim Blog for keeping this issue in the forefront. Thank you Anaheim residents for coming together for the betterment of our city.
Next we must turn the spotlight on this issue around the entire city. We must say we do not want to live with lawlessness. We must get those wanting help all the help they need. Those not accepting help need to know while this is a “city of kindness,” it is a city that enforces its laws.
Now, tonight don’t blow it by having 50 people speak and dragging the meeting on for hours. The Council knows where we stand. Have one person speak and call for an immediate vote. No more discussion is needed. No more studies, committees etc. Have the vote, get it over with and clear the river trail, parks and 91 and Harbor. There is only one side to this issue and end the discussion and vote. clear the trail NOW.
Sandra Hutchens must be living on another planet or under a rock. The problem can’t be swept away by doing nothing. DO YOUR JOB. Re arrest these druggies. Thank Obama and Brown for this nightmare.
Don’t forget to thank tait and moreno and garcetti in LA. All those play doh loving politicians who don’t act until they are shown in a negative light. CALIFORNIANS IN THE NEXT ELECTIONS WE MUST SHOW THEM THAT IF THEY DON’T TAKE CARE OF US WE WILL TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES. No more politicians preaching “city of kindness” how about preaching the city of respect of the law.
Whose streets? The law abiding citizens streets.
Here, here, Anaheim. Here, here!
Lucille Kring Photo Op we’ll take it: She became committed when the media spotlight glaringly portrayed them in a negative light.
Now all we have to do is to help her succeed by maintaining an open loop of communication in that as this effort begins, her progress from cornerstone to cornerstone will be measured by the affected citizenry for profiency and timeliness.. In other words, Big Brother is watching Ms. Kring’s ability to get difficult things done.
jose moreno has the most insincere smug face. His “working group” is ridiculous. This political show at the council is so frustrating to watch. Round and round this issue we go. Todd Spitzer and his “stats” and “honest conversations” prove all they will be doing is more talking.
NO BATHROOMS
CLEAR THEM OUT OF THE WHOLE RIVERBED
STOP STUDYING THE ISSUE AND START DOING SOMETHING.
We need to keep these politicians’ feet to the fire. Keep showing publicly what their leadership is worth, to date not much.
Go Councilman Faessel (sp)
WELL SAID! 100% on target!!!!!
DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY: It is past the studying and talking time. MARY you said it right in the meeting. Stop talking. Lock up the Riverbed and arrest those not accepting help. PERIOD. It is time FOR ACTION.
Matt,
I sure hope they do something tonight. If not keep the pressure on. You saved the city by blasting jose Morenos secret plan to appoint Matsuda as city manager.
Moreno, Jabbar, Rueles and Matsuda all self serving incompetent hacks that must be watched closely and stopped. Im telling you they really want control of the city and it would be bad real bad. Just look at who they have hired and promoted in the auhsd. Not on who is best qualified best able to serve students, but who can be controlled and used as a pawn. Very sad.
One of the things we can fund.. is a bus ticket home. When we can issue a ticket for illegal activity, or if we can arrest them, @our expense (which there is a lot of when they can’t pay their fines, or go to our jails) we buy them a bus ticket back to their home town, with the agreement we won’t press charges or try to collect the fines unless they come back to California. Then we prosecute and/or fine them.
I’ll support that. Yes sir, I’ll support than in a gog gone minute.
Why wait for the “homeless working group” to give their report in October? Who are they? Who appointed them? What makes them experts? It is a group led by moreno and appointed by moreno to do his bidding. Whose streets? The law abiding citizen’s streets.
I never vote in city elections because I haven’t cared about the area for a really long time, but I sure as hell will vote during the next cycle to get these creeps OUT of office. I’m sick of the escalating crime – houses and cars being broken into, freaks stalking our kids in parks and walking home from school, all of the neighbors feeling they must now be armed. Ecause the place has gotten crazy. SO DONE WITH THIS. SO… when will Jerry Brown set aside a day to hang out at the riverbed to get a firsthand look at what he’s done to our state? Not holding my breath. Also, has anyone organized protests? Name the date.
Anacrime, I could not agree with you more!!! The ONLYCM that should stay is Stephan Faessel — he’s not self-serving – he’s a breath of fresh air on the City Council and he fights the good fight for the PEOPLE OF ANAHEIM. This guy is our next Mayor!
moreno is a boor a pompous boor. who does he think he is to disrespect councilman faesell? He thinks he is so powerful that he can behave that way in a coucil meeting. To try to shut out a representative from District 5 is because he wants to control the outcome. moreno is trying to steer the city in his direction. Where is Mayor Tait? Moreno should step down from this “working group.” He should be removed from office and at the least TAKE HEED ANAHEIM AND VOTE HIM OUT OF OFFICE. Two headed snake.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Could not have said it better!
“Dr.” Moreno talks to hear himself talk. Always has to have the last word. Blah, blah, blah ….. Moreno’s Homeless Policy Working Group is self-serving. It’s SOOOOOOOOO obvious! Thank you CM Faessel for dong the RIGHT THING … there is now a District 5 representative on that working group and there should have been all along! It is NOT Moreno’s District that is effected. It is Faessel’s District that is the MOST impacted by the homeless encampments along the riverbed.
Moreno is threatened by CM Faessel’s TRUE leadership. Less talking from CM Moreno and more learning from a true Anaheim Leader!
And with all this talk on the blog, no I did not go to the council meeting. And as I assumed, too many people spoke and I bet from reading Register this morning, no vote took place. If it did, great. No mention of a Vote in paper. Somebody should just have said No more discussion, vote now! Just more politics and posturing. Vote now! Kudos to Sheriff’s Dept. Good luck on the trail. Clear it out.
H Larry, my friend, I’ve pursued my resources and the only entity covering the story is the local news. They say the ACC have officially declared the place an emergency. I have also looked at the docket that it takes a week to publish the minutes of the meeting; that’s bullshit. ACC needs to be challenged on their timeliness. I’ll start. Hey ACC, I come from one of the most professional organizations in this country, The USAF.
If an official record of an official meeting was not published by the following morning, someone’s ass was for breakfast. Take a Ritalin, a great big gulp of fresh air and yell Geronimo. And remember, I have takin your names and addresses of which I have passed-on to family, friends and acquaintances on FB, in order to cheer you on to victory, your public awaites, literally, Damn it!
Let’s get the process going. I am glad the vote happened. Unanimous, as they are all looking to cover themselves in the next election. Now let’s clear the river bed.
Your a man of action HLarry, I’m with you all the way!
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