Our letter about the reported cause of many fires in the Parkway being attributed to illegal camping by the homeless has been published, and has particular relevance in light of the recent story of a rape near the Parkway, also reportedly by a homeless person, which noted:
“The attacker is described as white, in his mid-40s, 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighing 160 to 170 pounds. He had medium-length brown hair and a full salt-and-pepper beard. He was wearing a gray shirt with writing on the front, blue jeans and white tennis shoes. He spoke with a raspy voice and a Southern accent. His appearance was dirty and he appeared homeless, investigators said.”
Here is our letter.
Illegal camping has consequences
Published 12:00 am PDT Thursday, September 11, 2008
"Re "Blaze points to homeless" (Our Region, Sept. 7): This article captures many of the concerns that residents near the American River Parkway have been expressing for years about the consequences of illegal camping by the homeless.
"While campfires that become wildfires are the recent focus, the public safety issues surrounding illegal camping have plagued the nearby community for some time and are largely responsible for the inability of families to use the area of the parkway safely.
"We have supported the housing-first approach to dealing with the chronic homeless, and it has been adopted, but it's years away from making a significant difference.
"In the meantime, vigorous sweeps by police accompanied by homeless service programs can help encourage people to connect to the existing services that can help them get off the streets and out of the camps along the river.
"Sometimes the best way to help people – and almost all of us want to help the homeless – is through a little tough love.
– David H. Lukenbill, Sacramento,
Senior policy director, American River Parkway Preservation Society
