This story from Saturday’s Bee remind us of why the Parkway adjacent communities burdened by illegal camping of the homeless and the related crime, and consequently unable to safely use their part of the Parkway, get so frustrated by the coverage of the camping.
This story never mentions that the camping is illegal but clearly details that it is just part of the ”neighborhood”, as is the sprawling complex serving the homeless established on North 12th Street.
Here is an excerpt:
“Not far from Tracey Knickerbocker's camp, the water was rising. But Knickerbocker doesn't have a television or a radio. She doesn't read the newspaper. As a result, she says, she didn't know.
“Knickerbocker lives with her boyfriend in a tent by the American River. She says she realized the river was coming up during last week's storms only after her boyfriend got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. He put his foot on the ground - they sleep on a cot - and found the bottom of the tent had filled with water.
“Knickerbocker says she lost everything fleeing the river. Her bicycle. Her trailer. Her mattress. Her legal papers. Her stove. Her books. Her bags of Kool Aid.
"Everything that makes it a little bit more comfortable out here."
“Many encampments were swallowed by the rising waters. Knickerbocker, and other homeless people, say they didn't flee to higher ground because they weren't warned. Loaves & Fishes officials say they didn't warn them because they didn't realize the water was coming up.
"It just breaks my heart because this is people's neighborhoods, this is where they live, and it's all underwater," said Linda Kelly, spiritual director of the homeless services complex on 12th and North C streets.
“City officials say they called Loaves & Fishes to advise them to warn their guests. Staff members at Loaves & Fishes say they normally get contacted, but received no such warning this time.”
