Manteca Police were able to resume closing city parks to legally keep everyone out including the homeless after testing turned up no cases of COVID-19 among the city’s transient population.
City crews have cleared out the homeless encampment that sprung up along the Tidewater Bikeway near Library Park in mid-March when Governor Gavin Newsom declared a pandemic emergency. At that time he directed local jurisdictions not to uproot makeshift homeless shelters in a bid to implement Centers for Disease Control recommendations designed to keep the homeless from spreading COVID-19 throughout the community.
There was one homeless individual who is part of an identified high risk group when it comes to contracting COVID-19 that was transported to a temporary shelter at a Stockton that San Joaquin County has rented for such homeless individuals.
Manteca Police Lt. Stephen Schuler noted the city’s ability to clear out the encampment once testing was conducted of all of the homeless individuals that community-based groups that are part of the city’s continuum of care effort has reduced health risks to the general public as well as the homeless.
That’s because when items were cleared out crews also dealt with human feces, urine, and hypodermic needles as well as piles of debris that attract vermin.
The city had deployed portable restrooms and wash receptacles but the homeless did not always make use of them. At one point a fire was set that destroyed a portable toilet.
Now that the area has been cleaned up there is a new portable toilet that the homeless can access 24/7. In addition city crews have resumed and opening and locking the Library Park restrooms to correspond with park hours.
Schuler confirmed police are now enforcing park closures throughout the city.
He also indicated Caltrans is no longer clearing out homeless encampments along freeways to the degree that they once did after a homeless individuals was injured during such an effort.
City Manager Miranda Lutzow noted the homeless, like all other citizens, can access the parks when they are open.
Now when you see them in parks or along the Tidewater they will have some items with them that they carry but they are no longer stockpiling items or setting up camp 24/7.
Manteca is still adhering to court rulings just as other cities are required to do that means the homeless — or anyone else for that matter — are allowed to sleep from 11 a.m. to 6 p .m. in most public places controlled by the city that aren’t secured, fenced off, or closed to everyone at certain times such as parks. Sidewalks are included providing there is adequate passage meeting Americans With Disablists Act guidelines. That stipulation rules out all city sidewalks in residential areas that are typically six feet wide from being used or sleeping.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com