Business as Usual: SCPD Targets Homeless after City Council Re-Affirms Camping Ban

On the rain-swept evening of March 8, the Santa Cruz City Council voted 5-2 to re-affirm the city's camping ban, which outlaws sleeping in public with or without bedding, and prohibits sleeping in cars, between the hours of 11pm and 8:30am. Supporters of the "Right to Rest" had hoped the city council would remove references to the word "sleep" from the ordinance, but the majority of council members voted to keep the law exactly as it is presently written. Shortly after the vote concluded, it was business as usual for the Santa Cruz Police Department, whose officers spent the evening issuing citations and targeting homeless people sleeping downtown.

SCPD officer Nicholas Kramer issues a camping citation to a man sleeping along Walnut Avenue at 6:45am on March 9, following the city council's vote to re-affirm the camping ban about eight hours earlier

A large group of community members spoke to the city council in favor of amending the camping ban (section 6.36.010 of the municipal code). The meeting was adjourned immediately after the conclusion of the camping ban vote, at about 10:30pm.

At about 11:45pm, SCPD officer Dominique Hohmann and another officer with the department cleared the downtown post office of the homeless people who were sleeping there, citing two individuals. One of the individuals was told by police she was being cited for trespassing. At no time did either of the two officers offer the people they cited at the post office any information on where to find an emergency shelter or how to receive social services.

The Santa Cruz Post Office at 11:45pm

SCPD officer Dominique Hohmann wakes a woman sleeping at the post office and cites her for trespassing

At about 12:15am, one of the same officers who was citing people at the post office was at the Boys & Girls Club, citing two individuals for sleeping near the club's front entrance. The officer informed the men they had a certain number of minutes to gather their belongings and leave the area.

The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Cruz at 12:15am

Shortly after 3am, SCPD Lieutenant Bill Azua and officer David Gunter arrived at Santa Cruz City Hall after they were called by a First Alarm security guard to eject a single woman who was sleeping under the building's eaves on the brick walkway that leads up to the city's main offices. The security guard had begun to clear the walkway of three other sleepers seeking shelter from the rain, but was unsuccessful in his attempts to get the woman to leave. She did leave, however, after Azua spoke with her.

At no time did the Lieutenant ever offer any of the people he moved along at City Hall information on how to receive social services or any shelter services. The woman had been asleep using a single blanket.

A Freedom Sleeper creates a lean-to next to a van in front of City Hall at 1am

SCPD Lt. Bill Azua moves-along a woman sleeping under a blanket at City Hall at 3am

A person displaced from the 3am City Hall move-along sleeps at Prophet Elias Church

A Freedom Sleeper's tent is illuminated by a car's brake lights at 5am

At 6:45 am, SCPD officer Nicholas Kramer cited multiple homeless people who were sleeping along the edge of the Cedar parking garage.

One man sleeping next to the sidewalk on the Walnut Avenue side of the garage was issued a camping citation. He was asleep when officer Kramer approached him. The space he occupied was small, and the only equipment the man was using was a thin sleeping pad and a sleeping bag.

At no time did officer Kramer offer the man cited near Walnut Avenue any information on how to receive shelter services or any other social services.

Sleeping in the Cedar garage at 4:30am

SCPD arrives at 6:40am

SCPD officer Nicholas Kramer issues a camping citation at 6:45am

The homeless woman who was displaced by police at City Hall eventually joined the Freedom Sleepers, who were participating in their 35th community sleepout a few feet away.

Since July 4, the Freedom Sleepers have been sleeping at City Hall one night a week to protest local laws that criminalize homelessness.

Before she was moved by police, the woman was sleeping under the eaves of City Hall, a location that was dry and sheltered from the wind and rain. When sleeping with the Freedom Sleepers on the open sidewalk, she was directly exposed to the elements, where she was rained on for two to three hours.

The Freedom Sleepers choose to sleep on the sidewalk in front of City Hall, because it is a location which leaves them largely safe from the police. During rain storms, however, some Freedom Sleepers without tents migrate to the dry areas of City Hall, which is closed to the public at night. Sleeping there places them at a higher risk of interacting with police.

One of the homeless men moved along from City Hall at 3am by First Alarm and the Santa Cruz police eventually made his way about a half a block away to the front entrance of the Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church, where he slept until daybreak.

There was some irony in this, considering a member of the church's parish council spoke before the city council only five hours earlier in favor of maintaining the camping ban as it is.

Sophie Polychronakis, the vice-president of the parish council, told city council members the proposed changes to the camping ordinance wouldn't affect the church directly because they are a "private entity" and they can call police to have people removed from their property, which is marked with several no trespassing signs.

Changing the ordinance, Polychronakis stated to the city council, "may even create even bigger problems."

It is unclear if the parish council of Prophet Elias knows how many people are pushed towards their property by the move-along laws the church supports.

Freedom Sleepers in front of City Hall during the 34th community sleepout on March 1-2

Freedom Sleepers in front of City Hall during the 34th community sleepout

Freedom Sleepers food and cleaning supplies