Poway to scale back frequency of reports about illegal camps

By: ANDREA MOSS - POWAY ---- While other North County cities struggle to reduce the number of illegal camps within their borders, a drop in the number cropping up in Poway has prompted city officials to scale back their reports about the problem. | Tuesday, August 22, 2006 10:50 PM PDT ∞

The city's Development Service Department has given quarterly encampment reports to the City Council for several years. Last week, the council agreed to switch to a semiannual reporting schedule after reviewing the latest report, which said just three such camps have been found so far this year.

The relatively low number reflects a downward trend in the last few years, the report said.

On Tuesday, the director of Development Services Department, Niall Fritz, said the drop-off began in 2000, when half a dozen illegal camps were found in Poway.

The number has been less than 10 every year since, except for a one-year spike in 2002, when 14 camps were found, he said.

"It's leveled off and gotten more sort of routine," Fritz said. "And it just saves paperwork to report semiannually ---- it keeps (the city's two code enforcement officers) in the field instead of at their desks writing reports."

He and Mayor Mickey Cafagna attributed the lower numbers to city efforts to stay on top of the problem, the maturing of Poway ---- which Fritz said means there are fewer open areas in the city, and local homeowners' tendency to call the city as soon as they spot an illegal camp or suspect one near their property.

"The (code enforcement) guys aren't going out hunting, looking for camps," he said. "It's almost always residential neighbors giving us a call."

Virtually every city in the region has to deal with illegal camps to some extent. They tend to be most common in communities with extensive agriculture, numerous hills or canyons, or a lot of construction.

The makeshift living quarters can range in size and detail from a blanket that one person spreads beneath tall bushes to dozens of people living in shacks pieced together from wood, cardboard and other materials. Some are outfitted with mattresses, cooking stoves and other items.

The camps' residents may be migrants working seasonal jobs in the area, homeless individuals, or transients passing through the region.

Regardless of who lives there, authorities say the camps are a public nuisance because they create health and safety hazards.

Several North County cities' attempts to get rid of illegal camps have made headlines in recent years.

Carlsbad, for example, has come under fire several times for ordering migrant workers to leave camps they had established in that city. Many of the workers toil in Carlsbad's strawberry and flower fields, and their supporters argue that the businesses or the city should provide low-cost housing for the laborers.

Oceanside makes periodic sweeps along its section of the San Luis Rey River in an effort to clear the area of illegal camps. San Marcos, Vista, Fallbrook and Rancho Penasquitos are among the other communities where the issue is ongoing.

Poway's two code enforcement officers work with local law enforcement officers to eliminate illegal camps found in this city. They do so by checking out reports of any makeshift living quarters and, when they find them, posting fliers in English and Spanish that tell the camp's occupants they have to move. They then return a couple of days later to make sure the occupants had left, said Fritz and code enforcement officer Marc LeDrew.

"Ninety-nine percent of the time, they take their personal belongings and sometimes their bedding and structures," LeDrew said. "And what's usually remaining is trash."

Property owners are responsible for clearing the debris. Poway paid the bill for cleanups at two of the camps found so far this year ---- on city property along Metate Lane and in the creek next to Hilleary Park, Fritz said.

The third camp was on private property on Gateway Park Road, he added.

Mayor Mickey Cafagna said the city has been lucky to have so few illegal camps. If necessary, though, the city can always go back to more frequent encampment reports, he said.

-- Contact staff writer Andrea Moss at (760) 739-6654 or amoss@nctimes.com.

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They don't want to show a problem! wrote on Aug 23, 2006 7:38 AM:This city has them like everyone else. The transient camps are rampant! Poway is no different, except they don't want to report them.

21st Century how sad wrote on Aug 23, 2006 11:46 AM:How sad that in this day and age people are forced to live this way. Is there a reason that these cities do not have homeless shelters available for there individuals?

Hey 21st century wrote on Aug 23, 2006 12:08 PM:You don't get it! They're not homeless. These people do have homes. Their HOMES are in Mexico! They send their money HOME to their families. They don't mind sleeping in the canyons, in fact they have everything they would back HOME. here's a new bumper sticker: "Support the Migrants- Send Them Home!"

Yeah right wrote on Aug 23, 2006 12:16 PM:There are a lot of camps in Poway. The city council and the mayor don't want to have to deal with it. Do you all think we are fools? One word, LAZY!

Tired of Illegals wrote on Aug 23, 2006 12:55 PM:21st Century - why don't you house a few of them at your place?

21st Century wrote on Aug 23, 2006 1:17 PM:If they are here in this country and live in canyons then they are homeless. Well I guess if they don't mind sleeping in the canyons what is the big to do about? I like your bumper sticker I would only change one thing "Support the Migrants - Give Them a Home!"

21st Century wrote on Aug 23, 2006 1:39 PM:Is there a place where I can sign up to have provide them with a home? I am concerned when our city officials wish to ignore a problem. Homelessness is awful. I am not sure where these camps are to go there and invite them to my home. To Tired of illegals Thank you for the suggestion I will work on that.

American to the core wrote on Aug 23, 2006 4:15 PM:We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Reality to 21st Century wrote on Aug 23, 2006 8:50 PM:Hi, I'm an American citizen that has a large mortgage, health insurance, auto insurance, electricity, water, trash, food, fuel, property taxes and other misc. monthly bills. May I live in your back yard and leave my litter behind so I can save money while I pay my bills elsewhere? May I have an open fire in your backyard each night that further raises your possibility of losses due to my negligence? May I relieve myself in your backyard every time nature calls? Well, 21st century, now that you are aware of my plight and that of other unfortunates living outdoors by choice, It is incumbent upon you to take matters into your own hands and offer us an invitation to reside in your backyard. Don't wait for us to come to you, seek us out, we aren't hard to find and you have a moral obligation to assist us all. What a joke. Anybody can post bleeding heart gibberish. Well 21st Century, please give us an update including how many unfortunates that you are now housing. If you're unwilling to bring these people to your home then keep your hollow words to yourself. These people come here by choice, they live where they live by choice, and ultimately they leave with U.S. currency and return to their homeland by choice. There is no plausible arguement to allow these encampments to exist in our society. Do you know the names and criminal histories of the people residing in these encampments? Of course not, there illegal immigrants once again abusing the hospitality of their neighbors to the north. Do you really want to bring some homeless to your place for a sleep over? Take the 163 south into downtown San Diego tonight. They're not hard to spot and they're just waiting for someone like you to save them. Don't just talk it, walk it

When, oh when wrote on Aug 24, 2006 10:39 AM:...will the City, County, State and Federal governments open their eyes and DEAL with this problem? These people are parasites!! They, by virtue of their being her without having gone through the proper processing, are criminals!! Those who hire, give refuge or any other kind of aid are aiding and abetting the commission of a CRIME! Bleeding hearts, go bleed on your own carpets! You are part of the problem - what don't you understand about illegal? WHAT DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND ABOUT OBEYING THE LAW? Without laws, we descend into anarchy and mob rule - not a pretty sight!

To 21st Century wrote on Aug 24, 2006 10:44 AM:Your "handle" suggests that you think you are, somehow, "more advanced." However, you know NOTHING

To 21st Century wrote on Aug 24, 2006 10:52 AM:Your "handle" suggests that you think you are, somehow, "more advanced." However, you know NOTHING ABOUT PSYCHOLOGY! When, in your misplaced "compassion," you "help" in the ways you are suggesting, you are encouraging people to be less than they are, rather than more. You are rewarding them for breaking the law - so they will break more, and more often. If you put an arm or a leg in a cast to "help" it heal (in this case - the "arm/leg" isn't even broken!) the arm or leg withers! This is what you are doing! You are trying to make cripples out of a whole group of people (those poor things!) so that you can tell yourself you are "more advanced." Who said "charity begins at home?" How about some REAL charity for your neighbors? For your community? For your country? Your self-serving ego is showing!!

21st Century wrote on Aug 24, 2006 11:00 AM:It seems that you are living the American Dream. You are a lot like me a responsible American citizen with monthly expenses for living the good life. However, we are also able to earn the money to support our lifestyles. You state in your comment “there is no plausible argument to allow these encampments to exist in our society”. You are so correct there should be something done to relocate these people to adequate housing. If my words seem hollow to you it is probably because the area in your chest where your heart should be is hollow. You state that my offer to help these people is a joke. Just as you say anyone can post “bleeding heart gibberish” anyone can post the heartless, and sarcastic comments you posted as well. You are not very kind. As far as illegals abusing the hospitality of their neighbors to the north, now that is the joke we may be Mexico’s neighbors but we are far from hospitable. Thank you for the directions myself and members of my church will do just that walk the walk. May God continue to bless you richly and God Bless these great United States.

To Reality from 21st Century wrote on Aug 24, 2006 2:04 PM:It seems that you are living the American Dream. You are a lot like me a responsible American citizen with monthly expenses for living the good life. However, we are also able to earn the money to support our lifestyles. You state in your comment “there is no plausible argument to allow these encampments to exist in our society”. You are so correct there should be something done to relocate these people to adequate housing. If my words seem hollow to you it is probably because the area in your chest where your heart should be is hollow. You state that my offer to help these people is a joke. Just as you say anyone can post “bleeding heart gibberish” anyone can post the heartless, and sarcastic comments you posted as well. You are not very kind. As far as illegals abusing the hospitality of their neighbors to the north, now that is the joke we may be Mexico’s neighbors but we are far from hospitable. Thank you for the directions myself and members of my church will do just that walk the walk. May God continue to bless you richly and God Bless these great United States.

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