BART police evict homeless camp

RICHMOND -- A work crew escorted by BART police leveled a homeless encampment Monday that existed for a year near one of the city's busiest intersections.

Eight people lived at the encampment under the BART tracks just west of San Pablo Avenue that went largely unnoticed by the general public if not by nearby merchants.

A complaint by Home Depot, whose lot abuts the BART right-of-way, sparked Monday's action, said BART police Lt. Pamela Cherry. If not for the complaint, Cherry said, "We wouldn't have even known that they were there."

Duane Chapman, Contra Costa County ombudsman for the homeless, criticized the timing of the eviction, coming at the height of the winter's rainy season.

"They could have picked a better time," Chapman said. "I mean, it's raining. Now what are these eight people supposed to do?"

Chapman said many of those evicted lost their tarpaulins, tents and other possessions when the work crew cleared the site.

"They took everything that I had, clothes and an old tent," said Gloria, 46, who had lived at the site for six months. "All I got is a blanket. That's about it. I don't know where I'm going to stay tonight."

"It's a shame that BART police did not contact us," said Chapman, who heard about the impending eviction Thursday after BART officials put up signs ordering the site vacated. "If Home Depot had a problem, they could have contacted us."

Store officials at Home Depot declined to comment, citing company policy. They referred inquiries to the company's Southern California office, where no one was available to comment.

Cherry, the BART police officer, said she did not know there was a county ombudsman for the homeless until Chapman contacted BART and that she would contact him in future if a similar situation arises.

Chapman estimated there are 1,000 to 2,000 people living on the streets of West County but only about 200 shelter beds, including those in private shelters.

He said one of the people evicted Monday had found a shelter bed; another had found temporary accommodations with friends. The rest, he said, were on the streets.

Joaquin Lopez, manager of a Taco Bell near the encampment, said he had periodically complained about the homeless people to Richmond and El Cerrito police, to no avail.

The site is in Richmond, near the border of El Cerrito. But because it is on BART property, Richmond police have no jurisdiction, even though they are aware that homeless people have congregated there over the years, said Sgt. Enos Johnson.

A neighborhood homeowner, Sheila Place said she had mixed feelings about the eviction. "Your compassionate side wants to say they're in need, or they wouldn't be there," said Place, who walks by the site daily on her way to work. "But it's not a good feeling when it's 10, 11 o'clock at night when they follow you and yell at you."

"It's a very sad situation," she said. "It's unfortunate we're in an impoverished area."