Residents of University Heights say that they’ve called on city and state leaders for years for help about a homeless encampment in their community, with no result
John Rinaldi's University Heights dream home, which offers a panoramic view of the city, also gives him a window into an unsightly scene across the canyon.
“You shouldn't have to contend with people defecating and sunbathing nude, and sitting out here cooking and running solar panels, and putting us at risk of fires," said Rinaldi, who told NBC 7 that he lost at least one potential buyer for his home, which is up for sale.
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Neighbor Charles Warner showed NBC 7 pictures of cooking pots, batteries and solar panels he believes help to power the encampment's creature comforts, which include a television.
“ I've seen a TV on down there…," Warner said. "It’s like he has an apartment."
All of this is happening about 50 yards from Warner’s home.
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"It's frustrating to have somebody put your life and your property at risk 24/7, and then to have no response from the city," Warner said.
"We have sounded the alarms for them through the Get It Done app,” echoed neighbor Matthew Comianos. “We've written emails. We've called officers to say: 'There's a real danger here.' ”
“The police have come out twice and surveyed the area," Rinaldi said. "The [complaints on the Get It Done app] kept getting canceled. One unrealistically got canceled, saying there’s no evidence of a homeless encampment, even though you can clearly see it."
Frustrated, Rinaldi and his neighbors called NBC 7 for help. After we contacted city leaders Tuesday for a response, residents said they met Wednesday morning with police, who started clearing the canyon.
Drone video showed that the solar panels and some other debris were removed.
"Our team has elevated and made sure encampment cases take priority over other waste-code violations,” said Deputy Director Franklin Coopersmith of the Clean SD Division of Environmental Services told NBC 7.
Coopersmith said the canyon area, like many other areas in the city, is a delicate mix, showing residential, corporate and city ownership.
"We need, property owners to get a letter of agency on a file," Coopersmith said. "So that way, the police can come on and remove any trespassers."
City officials said that a letter of agency is key because if an encampment is on private property, they can't enforce the unsafe camping ordinance or encroachment laws since those laws only apply to public property owned by the city. But, they added, if there's an imminent danger, action could be taken right away.
People in University Heights said that whatever the solution, something needs to be done now.
“We need to speed up the process if they're doing anything," Rinaldi said. "It cannot take four years when it's a fire danger and a threat to life. That can't happen."
The city said its Neighborhood Policing Division has acted and will continue to take appropriate enforcement actions and that they'll clear the rest of the encampment later this week.
San Diego Fire-Rescue is also being more pro-active when it comes to spraying fire retardant in canyons and on encampments to help alleviate the threat of fires.
