No Action Taken Against Downtown Homeless Ahead of MLB All-Star Game: City

The Major League Baseball All Star Game will be on July 12.

Perched above Petco Park, looking down on the East Village is a clock, counting down the seconds until the Major League Baseball All Star Game on July 12.

It will be one of the biggest sporting events in years for San Diego. However, while crews are putting on the finishing touches around the ballpark, preparations around the rest of the neighborhood are a little less certain.

East Village has a reputation for being home to one of the country’s largest homeless populations, but the city has said it does not plan to handle the issue any differently because of the game. 

Over the past week, signs have been posted around the neighborhood warning people to remove their belongings from sidewalks. Then, on Monday morning, city crews did clean the sidewalks, impounding or throwing away items that had not been moved. 

According to the city and several homeless people in the neighborhood, the sweeps are nothing new, and signs are always posted 72 hours in advance.

However, some of the homeless told NBC 7, there seems to be more enforcement whenever a big event comes to town.

"When things happen like comic con, or baseball games, there's a lot more presence,” said Tony Rodriguez.

Another woman camped out two blocks from the ballpark claimed police threatened her.

"They actually told us that if we don’t get out of here that they're going to arrest us, all of us, by the time the game starts." said Mariah Miller.

The city’s official response is that no additional enforcement or measures will be taken because of the game. City spokesman Craig Gustafson said the sidewalk sweeps are complaint driven.

“This cleanup work is routine and is not tied to any special events,” said Gustasfson. “Point in fact, many of the individuals who are asked to remove their belongings for the cleanup work immediately return to occupy those same streets after the work is completed.”

Some people who live in the neighborhood, however, doubt the city will allow the rest of the country to see what certain blocks typically look like.

“I’m pretty sure they’re going to mask it,” said Kevin Monzon, “They’re gonna try to hide it for a weekend and then forget about it, I’m sure.” 

Other downtown residents, like Larry Kessler, said if the city cannot come up with a permanent solution to the homeless issue, visitors should see that.

"Why not just own up to it. It just seems ludicrous to me to have to do this,” said Kessler, "It's part of the fabric of our city. It's an issue that we have to deal with."

Theodore Dizon sleeps on the streets a few blocks from the park. He says he would like to see a permanent solution, and hopes the city does not take short term action, just to put on a good show.

“Does that mean that my feelings are less important than an all star game?” he said. “Why doesn't the city provide us a place, give us a place that we can be in compliance with the law."

Whether the city does anything different to temporarily address the issue should be fairly easy to see come July 12.

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