Homeless Residents Evicted by Police from Phoenix Camp Say They Were Not Offered Shelter

The police raid on the Phoenix Camp started at about 6:30 am. A segment of the San Lorenzo Riverway path was cordoned off with police tape and guarded by multiple officers. 50 tents were in place at Camp Phoenix on the evening of November 14, the night before the raid, according to Alicia Kuhl of the Santa Cruz Chapter of the California Homeless Union. Dozens of the camp's residents were evicted over the course of about four hours..

To support residents of the camp during the eviction, a group of community members gathered outside of the police line. Some brought food to share and made plates for individuals as they exited the camp. Others helped homeless residents with their possessions once they were out. No one was allowed in unless they had lived at the camp and had not retrieved their possessions yet. When one individual asked a police officer what the yellow police line tape was for, the officer responded that it was because the area was a crime scene.

Community members interviewed the camp's residents to find out if they had been offered alternative shelter options. At about 10 am, Alicia Kuhl spoke briefly to the group of people who were still gathered outside of the police line, asking how many of them had not been offered shelter. At least five people raised their hands. A few minutes later, one camp resident spoke out to say he had been offered a motel voucher.

Megan Bunch, the Homelessness Assistant for the Santa Cruz City Manager's Office, appeared to be the only governmental official present at Camp Phoenix who was connecting services to those displaced by police. A County Health Services worker was also present, but did not appear to be interacting directly with camp residents.

Holes in the chain lick fence surrounding the area were patched by the authorities. As the final residents of the camp were still being evicted, a team from the Parks & Recreation department began installing "area closed" signs on the fencing that surrounds the area.

Ralph Dimarucut, Principal Management Analyst for the City of Santa Cruz, was present at the police raid, and acted as a spokesperson for the media.

Lieutenant Bernie Escalante was the highest ranking officer of the approximately two dozen police officers and park rangers present at the raid. At about 10:30 am, Escalante put a new lock on the gate and closed the Phoenix Camp.

One camp resident described the moment police came to their tent.

"I felt like I could have had a heart attack," the camp resident said.

The person is in their 70s, and said they were living with a disability. The camp resident said police communicated loudly from the outside of the tent that they had 10 minutes to pack their things and leave. When the person was asked if they were offered shelter during or after the raid, and if they had spoken to Megan Bunch, the person's answer was "no" to both questions.

One community member who was riding his bicycle along the San Lorenzo Riverway stopped by the Phoenix Camp when he saw police evicting the residents. He said he lived at the apartments across the river from Camp Phoenix, on Felker Street, and that he had hoped the City would support the camp. Its existence was an improvement to the neighborhood, he said.

He complimented the quick installation of the porta-potties by activists. He said he has had to clean up human feces on the property around his apartment, and that the neighborhood has wanted restrooms built in that area, but his impression was the City didn't have the money for it.


For more information about the Phoenix Camp, see:

Santa Cruz County Homeless Advocates/Santa Cruz California Homeless Union
https://www.facebook.com/groups/SantaCruzCountyHomelessAdvocates/


All photos copyright 2019 by Alex Darocy. Re-use is by permission only.