What this article in the Sacramento Bee today validates (and the accompanying photos leave no doubt about) is that from the police helpfully patrolling their camps in the American River Parkway, the courts allowing their illegal camping to continue, and the homeless agencies who feed them and provide daily supplies; the message to the largely poor communities of North Sacramento that have been unable to use their part of the Parkway for so many years due to large scale illegal camping, is, tough luck; that part of the Parkway belongs to the homeless and the downtown Sacramento establishment wants to keep it that way.
The community of North Sacramento, the North Sacramento Chamber of Commerce, and our organization, has been advocating against this sad state of affairs for years, but other than momentary publicity and temporary clean-ups, little has changed; as we can tell by these photos of well established camps patrolled by the police, as the headline says “aiding the inhabitants, enforcing the law”.
Everybody, including public leadership and homeless organizations, are well-intentioned and trying to help others down on their luck, which we all support; but, in the process the community of North Sacramento, one of the poorest in our region, cannot use their Parkway.
And that is a shame.
Officers to the outcast
Two Sacramento cops patrol homeless camps, aiding the inhabitants, enforcing the law – and loving what they do
By M.S. Enkoji - menkoji@sacbee.com
Published 12:00 am PST Friday, November 9, 2007
The patron saints of Sacramento's homeless population wear badges and carry guns.
Batman and Robin is how they're known on the street.
Every day, two Sacramento police officers engage with those on society's margins who few others will even acknowledge. They listen to the mentally disturbed, they counsel the hopelessly addicted, they keep track of the itinerate drifter.
They love it.
"You see all kinds of good every day," said Officer Mark Zoulas, 50, the Batman. "I love my job," he said, a boyish, bearish 27-year-veteran of the force.
In the seemingly endless debate over what we should do for homeless people, Zoulas and his partner, Officer Mike Cooper, just do it.
They make arrests, for sure. But they also give rides for court dates. They buy Egg McMuffins. They hand out Christmas bundles.
They lend a buck here and there – and get it back, now and then. They gain trust. They keep order out there.
After Union Pacific Railroad recently told an impromptu camp of homeless people to leave its northern Sacramento property, the two officers stepped in as informal liaisons, reassuring the dozens of illegal campers that the government and nonprofit agencies who came to the vacant lot bearing motel vouchers were there to help.
As people signed up for free two-night stays this week in local motels and climbed into vans for at least a temporary reprieve from the threat of citations, Zoulas and Cooper mingled at the edge of the field, chatting and joking with people.
They asked the officers what will happen if they come back to the vacant lot; will their stuff be all right? Questions that only Zoulas and Cooper could answer to their satisfaction.
"Hey, Batman. Hey, Robin," came the greetings. "Thanks, you guys," people murmured in parting.
"We know all their names," said Cooper, 43, a 17-year veteran. It's hard to disrespect someone who has bothered to learn your name, lent an ear to your story, even if he's hauled you in for too many missed court dates.
Cooper has partnered for seven years with Zoulas, who has worked the beat for 10. They know their people so well, they can recognize them prone on a blanket spread out on the sidewalk – especially if their warrants are piling up.
In the last decade, almost by default, Zoulas and Cooper melded what is called "problem-oriented policing" duties into a unique speciality because of the population they encountered on their beat, said Lt. Don Reahm, their supervisor.
Their beat includes the northern part of the city where homeless people are deeply entrenched because of secluded stretches of the American River, industrial neighborhoods and several social service agencies.
