At last night’s Anaheim City Council Meeting, Operation Home S.A.F.E. passed unanimously, declaring a citywide state of emergency and putting in motion an action plan to work with the County of Orange, neighboring cities, and non-profit partners to address the public health conditions and unlawful activity resulting from escalating homeless encampments.
I am grateful to the Mayor and my council colleagues who were united in support of this comprehensive action plan – building on good work that is ongoing at the city and county, and taking additional steps to respond with urgency to protect residents and those living with homelessness. Operation Home S.A.F.E. is focused on safe, sanitary shelter and services, as well as enforcement of our laws.
My appreciation also goes out to the Orange County Board of Supervisors who unanimously approved a framework for an immediate and robust public safety plan for the Santa Ana River Trail; in addition to significant new community services that were adopted several weeks ago. Third District Supervisor Todd Spitzer spoke at last night’s council meeting to express his personal commitment and the county’s strong support for solving this crisis.
The city received hundreds of letters, emails, phone calls and many attended recent council meetings and community meetings to express their support for Operation Home S.A.F.E.. More than 13,500 residents have signed a petition urging the City Council to take action to restore public safety.
With Operation Home S.A.F.E., the City of Anaheim is committed to action now and to long-term solutions that will benefit all who live, work and visit our city.
How Did We Get Here
According to the Orange County Office of Care Coordination’s most recent assessment, 422 people are living in encampments on the Flood Control Channel between Chapman and Ball Road along the Anaheim border. The numbers are escalating and we must respond now for the safety of those who live there and neighboring communities. To read the full report, click here.
- 54% Increase of homeless individuals along the Flood Control Channel since 2015
- 50% struggle with disability or health issue of some kind
- 42% identify as having a mental health concern
- Nearly 30% said they were released from jail or prison in last year*
*August 2017 CityNet FCC Census
Community Voices
Residents, businesses, and visitors to Anaheim are witnessing an escalating crisis dramatically affecting neighborhoods and recreation areas. As city leaders, we have heard from residents and advocates alike from all over the city. And those voices are growing louder.
- 79% of County residents say homeless situation is biggest issue facing the county
- Nearly 14,000 Anaheim residents have signed a petition urging the council to take immediate action
- Hundreds of phone calls, letters and public comment at council meetings
- 479 e-mail messages to the City Council
A Plan for Action
Passage of Operation Home S.A.F.E. declared a state of emergency in Anaheim and provides comprehensive services and aid to the homeless population in our area, as well as concurrent expansion of local law enforcement of the flood control channel and public spaces to eliminate the health and safety risks to all Anaheim and county residents.
The plan requires the City of Anaheim to:
- Declare a State of Emergency
- Work with County of Orange to expedite 100 additional beds at the Anaheim shelter, Bridges at Kraemer Place
- Call for armories to be reactivated during winter months
- Create temporary, emergency shelter for up to 500 beds
- Negotiate joint law enforcement with the County of Orange
- Restore and repair property and fencing along the riverbed
- Implement a Community Triage Day to connect the homeless with services
- Enforce all municipal codes and laws
By providing comprehensive and restorative services to the homeless, with concurrent enforcement of all health and safety laws, together we can reclaim the riverbed and surrounding neighborhoods for all residents in Anaheim and Orange County.
Its about TIME!!!
Thank you Kris Murray!
No applause for Jose Moreno.
Ok, let’s start fixing this disaster.
60 days. Let’s have a grand reopening of the river trail party. Maybe a nice Thanksgiving. Now let’s see if anything gets done and this is not a publicity move. I already have received stuff from her election committee. Not to be cynical, but let ‘s see how long before first lawsuit to stop this from taking effect. Hopefully Mohammed Aly will honor the general public and stay out of the way.
THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF THE BAD PUBLICITY. We all have been demanding this for a long time. Now that a film was made while bike riding which was published on Anaheim Blog and then sent to KFI we get action. Let us not forget there was little action to resolve this issue until the media and the shame their articles brought on the City Council’s, and the County. Let us not forget that jose moreno voted against the general publics wishes and wanted to take action to further entrench the homeless in the river bed’s location. Further jose moreno wanted to expand their places to allow camping in our city parks. Let us not forget that this only became an emergency when people turned on the council and the county officials publicly. Thank you Kris Murray for being able to now stand resolute in your representation of those you serve. Let us not forget each and every elected individual who did not stand up for those they serve and show them with our votes that they should have.
Why does a City like Anaheim have deal with these problems, why not Yorba Linda, Brea,Villa park, why do homeless people target this city? Elected officials waited this long to act despite growing concerns from citizens of this city.
Because in Brea for example police and citizenry hold parents accountable for their children’s bad behavior. Anaheim does not enforce parental responsibility laws. Tom Tait interferes with law enforcement to appease Jos Moreno’s group because he is afraid of encountering activists like Nativo Lopez who made things very uncomfortable for Tom Daly. When a foreign group with demented views is allowed to violate our sovereignty then these conditions will exist. Criminal street gangs in Anaheim like AVLS from Guinida Lane and W Berry Ave running illegal narcotics to the riverbed are responsible for the large numbers of service resistant transients.
Jose Moreno your on our radar, we the citizens will not forget your name, that not a good thing.
Lou: Anaheim has to deal with these problems because our leadership has been weak and has not enforced our laws. While other cities represent their city and its citizens and do not allow these issues rather they deal with them. So, the homeless go to some place they are allowed. Anaheim and the cities along the river bed that had these illegal encampments allowed these encampments to appear, grow and fester. Same on these cities for not enforcing the laws yet expecting citizens to respect them. I agree Lou we can not forget jose moreno’s name especially come election time. We have one more year of him then we must vote him out. Remember he voted pro homeless and wanted to expand the encampment by allowing camping in our parks. Only did he change when popular opinion said no. What I am trying to say is he voted AGAINST THE PEOPLE and only had their best interest at heart when it served him. Let’s get him OUT. Let’s keep commenting, and talking about how this issue was allowed to grow. It certainly did not happen overnight.
You are so right we need to remember and vote accordingly. Get two headed snake moreno out.
Lou and Anaheim: The only main reason the city of Anaheim has to deal with this problem is because the majority of the encampments and its residents are located within the Platinum Triangle. These people go where the money is being spent Anaheim Stadium, Honda Center, and Disneyland are the big three tourist attractions that bring in the tourist dollars. Those others cities you mentioned are just cities. We all know that Yorba Linda is the birthplace and location of the Richard Nixon Library, but it’s not really the go to place that really attracts the tourists or the homeless population. Also, the homeless population loves freeway on-ramps and off-ramps that are excellent areas to panhandle. I watched the council meeting and overheard that a homeless woman took a bus from New Hampshire to Anaheim because she found out that the panhandling in the Platinum Triangle was paying the most compared to other areas in California. I live in the apartment complex just off Chapman and my apartment faces out towards the Riverbed. The cops used to clear out anyone who had set up camp in the riverbed. The brought about 3 to 4 patrol cars, 2 city dumpster trucks, and about 10 or 15 people who had to perform community service for one reason or another and they who take everything and throw it all in the truck. Whatever they camper could take was essentially trashed on and destroyed on the spot. This practice went on like very 45-60 days, but eventually stopped when the ACLU got involved. I have lived here for nearly 7 years and have personally watched the riverbed trail turned to shit. Why do we have so many at these locations aside from just the location?
Well soon after the cops were halted from removing the campers is when the church groups showed up in droves and started with the free handout of food and clothing on continuous weekly basis that still goes on to this day. That is when the population in these areas really took off and homeless people from everywhere were flocking to get the free goods that were being brought in by people from multiple church members from multiple churches around the O.C. area. “If you build it, they will come.” well in this case if you feed and clothe it they will come and they have, from all over. Oh, and don’t forget that there was also a pastor who brought people in from Skidrow in Los Angeles because he thought told them that the O.C. camps were safer. This issue is beyond politics in my opinion. I don’t think it will really matter who is in office or not. A majority of these people aren’t going to go to a shelter because they have pets which aren’t allowed anyway and there not going to be able to take all of that junk with them there either. Personally I’m not a fan of giving these people “free” housing. If any city that provides the housing then they should be able to work (those who can) for a small/decent wage and not be given a place to live and then continue to collect cans or run a bicycle chop shop out of there new digs. This city can build as many shelters as they want, but what is the city going to do when the people say no. This whole issue is FUBAR!
Service resistant transients also end up at the riverbed because they hear that Guinida Lane’s AVLS criminal street gang supplies illegal narcotics there with no law enforcement present! Now they will end up at the recycling center on Midway Drive and Anaheim Blvd. when they are forced out of the riverbed. So there!
Orange: “If you build it they will come.” I have said that all along. I am genuinely sorry you have to live near this issue. I can only imagine what it is like and that is why I comment repeatedly. Bad press and the public’s scrutiny is the only way we all will get change to take place here. That is because the politicians care about preserving their image and their jobs. The river bed tucked them away and allowed the issue to be “resolved” in our “leaders” minds because they didn’t have to deal with the ACLU and they didn’t have to deal with them in our parks. They were tucked away. But as you said as the numbers grew due to the word getting out that this area was an opportune one. Again as you said those with kindness in their heart began feeding and in reality spoiling them. If you build it they will come, and they have.
Any city has opportunity to panhandle but do they allow it? If cities allow it and the citizens give the hand out rather than the hand up, then they stay. In Anaheim they are at the gas stations, the parks, the bus stops, parking lots of all kinds, inside fast food businesses, grocery stores, our streets, and our neighborhoods. Why not Yorba Linda? Why not Irvine? Why not Beverly Hills? Because these cities ACT and do not allow it? The residents don’t encourage it. I mean encourage by making them comfortable enough to not want to take the hand up, which may be difficult.
Other areas have actually sent or delivered more people to the area because it gets rid of the issue for them and may make them feel absolved morally. The helped by giving them an opportunity on the river trail. I have found a condom on top on my bushes in my front yard. I have had someone go to the bathroom in my front yard. i have had someone come into my backyard and steal my bike. I have had a homeless van parked in front of my house making me afraid to have my family outside or walk by in case something happens. We call the police and they come and talk with the people and then let them go.
If you build it they will come. We have built it by allowing it.
For example: Beverly Hills has quite a few people of means and you don’t see this issue at all and it is because they WILL NOT ALLOW THEIR CITY TO LOOK THIS WAY AND THEIR CITIZENS TO BE TREATED THIS WAY. The citizens of this example city demand more of their leaders and their leaders respect their voters enough. Would Mayor Tait act quickly if this issue was at his door in Anaheim Hills? You bet he would.
The trail must be cleared. The trail must be policed and recleared every day. The trail must remain for recreational use and treated as the gem that it is. This must be done by every city that is along the trail in joint unison. Every day week in and week out.
Further, the cities affected must take a stance that they may not live out in public or in our parks. It is unlawful.
The police department in our cities must be instructed by their commander and their leaders to enforce our laws. How do we expect our citizens to respect the laws if they are not enforced? We have sunken to a place, in Anaheim and much of California, where there is no respect of our cities in general and our fellow citizens because there is no respect of the law because it is so weak. We have civil liberties too. Enforce the laws and punish those that don’t respect them. All laws for all infractions. Tell those coming to our cities thinking we are soft and easy targets that we are not. Demand that our leaders lead and that our police enforce. If they don’t we replace them with someone who will. This is not unkind, refusing to enable is not unkind rather to the contrary. We offer an hand up to those that need it. We get them all the help they need to get off the street and those that do not accept change are subject to the law and the law will be enforced.
Shame on our leaders for allowing this to simmer and boil over. Shame on us if we do not demand better. Each of us needs to contact our cities leadership, our Board of Supervisors, and make our demands heard. We need to keep the media glare on this issue until it has been resolved. There is strength in numbers.
Stop the hand outs. Said that forever. Stop throwing change at the on ramp folks. Stop enabling. Have the folks pick up trash, have them sweep the streets. Give them jobs like were offered during the depression. Put them in Fairview. This is an emergency, get some emergency regulations passed to open the doors. Watch the politicians step over themselves and nothing gets accomplished. The citizens have spoken, now let’s see if politics gets in the way of accomplishing anything. No kudos to anybody yet. And have already received political emails from our local council for their actions. Waiting to see if anything actually happens.
Provide them meaningful, well paying jobs. Hire them first before others who are not from the state of California. Give them priority. It is amazing how much they will improve once you invest in them. Remember when the OC was a great middle class community? Stop investors and house flippers from running up the price of homes. The OC homeless issue is a direct result of the selfish businesses(who have nothing but an ADDICTION to cheap labor) and real estate companies(who get HIGH off of rising property values. Don’t forget the politicians that look the other way while taking bribes( you know they’re on the take … what politician wouldn’t love rising home values and the resulting property tax revenue). For the mentally ill, get them medical treatment. For the addicts, handle by treatment.
As an avid cyclist, I have been riding SART for 30 years. In the last 4 or 5 years I have watched it go from a peaceful bike path to something that looks like skid row. We all know the story, drugs, crime, zombies that walk out in front of you and don’t have a clue. Many people won’t even ride there anymore. And the surrounding neighborhoods that are being terrorized, their property values plummeting, bikes stolen, garages broken into and so on. I heard one gentleman say “if it’s not bolted down it’s gone”.
People are sick and tired of finger pointing and hearing about “task forces” and “working groups”.
I don’t know anything about Kris Murrays politics and I don’t care, but she has at least stepped up and brought a plan that might work. Her along with Lucille Kring and Steve Faessel seem to be committed to solving this problem. That’s more than I can say for the rest of those morons on that city council. I don’t know if it will work or not but it’s worth a try.
And a big THANK YOU to the OC sheriffs department. Over the last week or so, I have seen at least 3 to 4 patrol cars a day with officers talking to the homeless. Since they have been there the vibe I get riding thru the camps is much more subdued. I noticed today a few open spaces where tents used to be and a few were even packing up their stuff.
I’m sure the ACLU and the activist groups will start filing lawsuits to stop any actions. Let them and don’t back down! I want one of those council members to ask the ACLU why they’re not fighting for the “civil rights” of the residents and businesses that are being held hostage by a bunch of thieves and panhandlers. What about that ACLU?
The public needs to keep a spotlight on the homeless issue. Thank you Anaheim Blog! Please continue writing/reporting on this subject. Public opinion is very powerful, because we vote! The only time this was declared a State of Emergency is when our leaders were publicly held accountable for the homeless issue that their inaction allowed to create. Shame on them we must keep pushing with this for ourselves before we too have a hepatitis outbreak or any more violence.
THIS HOMELESS ISSUE WAS NOT JUST CREATED. IT WAS SLOWLY ALLOWED TO GROW TO THIS MAGNITUDE WHILE OUR LEADERS/LAWMAKERS LOOKED THE OTHER WAY. They allowed laws to be broken. They allowed citizens to be endangered. This has been going on for a long time. Our “leaders” from this council and the last council, our law enforcement “leaders” our County officials all need to be held accountable.
Look back at where they stood on the issue before the glare of bad publicity shined poorly on them. Where did they stand and how did they respond to the pleadings of those directly affected by this issue?Where do they stand now that we the public have said ENOUGH.
Bravo to Kris Murray for stepping up, now. The public will take it.
We must keep the glare on this as it is not just contained to the SART area, it is in our parks, parking lots, bus stops, resturants, neighborhoods, gas stations, supermarkets, mini marts, and public streets.
We must keep to the offer of help to all those in need, Kris Murray’s HAND UP. Those that can not speak for themselve must be spoken for. Those that refuse will be subject to the same laws we are.
Bravo to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department for doing patrols. The First night they came in tough with few patrol cars and a paddy wagon. They all came out of the vehicles and went tent-to-tent and asked everyone for their identification. One individual was taken away; probably had a warrant. Almost immediately after the announcement of the OCSD doing patrols in the S.A.R.T., the drug dealers had all fled. One thing that really pleased me was not having to hear another one of those damn motorized biked zipping back and forth during all hours of the night. My suspicion is that they were being used by the drug dealers to make their daily drug runs.
Most of the zombies are gone too, but there are still a few dragging their limbs about. I was thinking about sending a letter to A&E channel to see if could get some members of the The Walking Dead to come down and finish off the rest of the zombies. Rampart street is filled with that mix of both living and dead. What really worries me down there is a fire. Everyone is so pact in there like a bunch of dried X-mas trees. If a fire starts its all going to go up real quick real fast and there is a good chance that someone or something is not going to be able to make it out in time. Then there is going to be vehicle damage to all of the cars parked along Rampart St. Could you imagine a fire along that stretch of road during game night at the stadium and how pissed off the owners would be after the fact?
Anaheim, you hit the nail on the head when it comes to the politicians reaction to this crisis. Their hear-no-evil, see-no-evil excuse is just that-an excuse and a poor one at that. We all know that someone had brought up a homeless agenda during either private or public meeting long before it came to what it is now and we can all bet that each time it was brought up it was almost immediate swept under the rug. Now their panicking because they see someone shitting right on their front door step and they’re scared. Nobody was enforcing the laws in S.A.R.T. even before this whole issue came about. Long before this homeless issue there was and still is a group of individuals to have camped underneath the Katella Ave.overpass next to the Honda Center for as long as I can remember and I’ve lived in my complex off Chapman for 7 years. There was even a small cluster of folks camped on the other side of the retaining wall under the 5 FWY. There were countless times when I would walk along the trail and cops would go by and would never stop to enforce those rules that are posted along the riverbed. I guess for them its not something that has enough gusto to boast about to the guys back at the station when they get off shift. No, they want “real” criminals not that peasant shit that will make the other officers laugh at you instead of with while eating donuts and coffee at the round table.
How many times have you seen some homeless individuals standing on a small concrete island near an on/off ramp holding a sign asking you to give for their plight. I mean forget the fact that their pan handling for a moment, what about the safety issue. I’ve seen many of these people nearly run over by vehicles or close to be being crushed because they missed stepped in the wrong direction. Most cops that I’ve seen will just squelch their siren and then zoom by. While everyone else is playing duck, duck, goose, they’re stuck in the mush pot!
Rick, in Yorba Linda, I really feel for you. Riding along the trail is no longer like going down the Yellow Brick Road, it’s more like Escape from New York in some areas. I have spoken with a couple of cyclists who have physically been chased by because they claim the trail out in front of their tent is their property and they were trespassing. Several months ago the O.C. Register or the O.C. Weekly posted in one of their articles that some people who use the trails went down to their local police departments and inquired amount conceal and carry of personal firearms to stay safe. Sever months ago their was a group of cyclists riding together in a real tight formation going north under Chapman Ave. when all of sudden right a round the corner a group of you know who was right in the middle of the path playing Hacky sack! I was surprised how quick the group was able stop or steer from hitting anyone. For a moment when the 9+ cyclists got off their pricey rides after stopping I thought that 5 of the trail blockers were going to die right then and there on the spot. Those cyclists were very pissed off. Unfortunately, the cyclists are still having to deal with issues like this. Gone are the days when they could yell on your left or on your right to pass. It’s like Tron now; something might just appear in front of you and hopefully you react quick enough to it to prevent a serious wipe out.