DATE: February 15, 2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Roy Nakamura, Chief of Police
By: Kristin Blair, Crime Analyst
Dr. Jennifer Brutus, Senior Management Analyst
SUBJECT: 90-DAY REPORT ON CAMPING ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS
Recommendation: Provide Direction
SUMMARY
At the September 21, 2021, Regular City Council Meeting, Ordinance No. 2381 was introduced to amend Section 7915 of Chapter 9 of Article VII of the City of Arcadia Municipal Code (“AMC”) relating to camping and storage of personal property on public property. At this meeting, there was report and discussion on the City’s Homeless Programs and Services, and the City Council directed staff to implement the C amping Ordinance and report back on enforcement efforts after 90 days.
BACKGROUND
Ordinance No. 2381, which was later adopted on October 5, 2021, provided two amendments to the City’s Camping regulations . The changes updated the camping prohibition hours from starting at 10:00 p.m. to instead start at 8:00 p.m. and added clarifying lang uage to prohibit camping on all real property or lots associated with prohibited camping areas, not just the buildings noted.
On July 6, 2021, the City also adopted Resolution No. 7376 to establish N o Camping signage (see Attachment “A”) in certain areas of the City as described in Chapter 9 of Article VII Section 7915(c) of the AMC, which is now coded as AMC Section 7875(c). The No Camping signs have been posted in approximately 110 locations, which are generally high visibility locations at the edges of the areas shaded in orange in the City’s Camping Enforcement Area Map (see Attachment “B”).
Arcadia Police Officers handle calls for service ( “CFS”) every week that deal with homeless subject s loitering or sleeping to the front of a business or private property, unlawful camping, disturbances associated with drinking in public, noise complaints, assaults, thefts, and, at times, suicidal subjects. Every day the Arcadia Police Department
90-Day Report on Camping Enforcement Efforts
February 15, 2022
(the “Department”) works to both maintain and improve the quality of life for residents and business owners in Arcadia.
DISCUSSION
Since implementation of the Camping Ordinance in October 2021, the Department has been tracking the calls for service related to ca mping enforcement. The Department already tracks and reports monthly on calls for service involving individuals experiencing homelessness; however, this report focuses specifically on enforcement of AMC 7872 – Unlawful Camping.
During a time where the City’s homeless population has risen, the City’s Camping Ordinance is serving as a tool to deter unlawful camping. When Officers enforce the Camping Ordinance, they advise the homeless person of their specific AMC violation and offer services, per the Ordinance. Keeping in that being homeless in itself is not a crime, Officers make contact with two goals in mind: warn and educate.
Although, Ordinance No. 2374 provides additional enfor cement mechanisms such as charging violations as a misdemeanor arrest and/or subjecting violators to a criminal citation, it is the City’s intent to use educational and encouragement efforts prior to utilizing these stronger alternatives. When needed, these additional enforcement mechanisms will be used to address situations where people are intentionally defying the rules established in the Ordinance.
Calls for Service
For the 90- day reporting period of October 18, 2021, through January 16, 2022, the Department responded to 1,054 ca lls for service citywide involving individuals experiencing homelessness. For the purposes of this report, the Department examined encampment related calls for a specific geographical area covering Reporting District 11
(north of Huntington Drive, south of the I -210, east of Santa Anita Avenue, and west of 5th Avenue), Reporting District 14 (north of Duarte Road, south of Huntington Drive, east of Santa Anita Avenue, and west of 5 th Avenue), as well as the County Wash areas located at the intersections of 2nd Avenue and Colorado Boulevard, and First Avenue and Foothill Boulevard. This focus area includes Downtown Arcadia, the Transit Plaza, and locations where unlawful camping occurs most regularly in the comm unity and would benefit the most from targeted enforcement efforts.
Of the 1,054 citywide homeless-related calls for service, 440 calls (42%) occurred in the focus area and 74 (or 7%) were specifically regarding encampment enforcement . Of those, the number of times an Officer advised a subject of AMC 7872 – Unlawful Camping in the focus areas was 42 (57%). The number of calls happening in this area is depicted below in Figure 1.
90-Day Report on Camping Enforcement Efforts
February 15, 2022
Figure 1 – Homeless and Unlawful Camping Calls for Service in Reporting Districts 11 & 14 and County Wash Areas for 90 Days: 10/18/2021 – 1/16/2022
ALL HOMELESS CALLS UNLAWFUL CAMPING CALLS
The calls for service data (Figure 2) show that homeless-related calls and those calls specifically related to unlawful camping (AMC 7872) have been decreasing for the past 90 days since enforcement began. After the first 30 days of camping enforcement , homeless-related calls citywide equaled 416 and dropped to 293 in the third month.
Similarly, in the focus area, homeless-related calls decreased every 30 days from 196 to 111, respectively.
In some cases, calls for service involving individuals experiencing homeless ness entail unlawful camping. Citywide, the calls requiring camping enforcement decreased over the 90-day period from 43 to 11, and from 29 to three in the focus area specifically. 440 Calls for Service involving individuals
experiencing homelessness
42 Calls for Service involving unlawful
camping; advised of AMC 7872
90-Day Report on Camping Enforcement Efforts
February 15, 2022
In comparison to last year, the citywide homeless-related calls for service are 58% higher than they were in the same 90-day reporting period, 667 compared to 1,054 . However, when comparing the current 90-day data to the prior 90 days (7/19/2021 – 10/17/2021), the calls have decreased from 1,404 to 1,054 (25%), as shown in Figure 3.
During the 90- day reporting period, Officers made contact with 125 identified subjects citywide (for all homeless -related calls). Many of these individuals were contacted repeatedly, anywhere from two to 12 times. In the 90- day reporting period, the 125 identified subjects produced 231 homeless-related calls for service citywide (136 were in the focus area as shown in Figure 4). In just the focus area, there were 71 identified subjects, with 30 involved in repeat contacts. The other homeless -related citywide calls 416
196
43 29
345
133
20 11
293
111
11 3
0 50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
1,054 Citywide 440 Focus Area (42%) 74 Citywide (7%) 42 Focus Area (57%) All Homeless Calls Homeless AMC 7872 Calls
Figure 2 - All Homeless vs. Homeless AMC 7872 Calls
Citywide vs. Focus Area
90-Days: 10/18/21 - 1/16/22
First 30 Days: 10/18 - 11/17 Second 30 Days: 11/18 - 12/17 Third 30 Days: 12/18-1/16 667
1,404
1,054
0 200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
Same 90 Days,
Previous Year
10/18/20 - 1/16/21
90 Days Prior
7/19/21 - 10/17/21
Current 90 Days
10/18/21 - 1/16/22
Figure 3 - Historical Comparison of
Citywide Homeless-Related Calls
90-Day Increments
90-Day Report on Camping Enforcement Efforts
February 15, 2022
for service (823 of 1,054) involved unidentified subjects. It is important to note that not all subjects provide personal identifying information when contacted, thus, the number of identified subjects would be higher if more homeless people shared information.
Enforcement Statistics
For the 90 -day reporting period, there were no arrests or citations related to enforcing AMC 7872 – Unlawful Camping . Although Officers responded to 74 homeless calls Citywide that were related to AMC 7872, including 42 in the focus area, most of the calls resulted in other final call types. Final call types are coded according to the end result, which is based on the Officer’s findings. For example, an Officer may respond to a call for illegal camping, but after contacting the subject find that the person has an outstanding warrant. This call would get coded as a Warrant. Officers found that when they warned persons that they were violating AMC 7872 for unlawfully camping, the subjects tended to pack up and move along, so no citation was required. Figure 5 shows the top 10 final call types for homeless calls Citywide and in the focus area.
FIGURE 5 - HOMELESS-RELATED FINAL CALL TYPES*
90-DAYS: 10/18/21 - 1/16/22
Citywide Homeless Calls Focus Area Homeless Calls Homeless Encounter 742
Homeless Encounter 333
Extra Patrol 72
Arcadia Muni Code Violation 35
Arcadia Muni Code Violation 48
Fight 6
Flagged Down 17
Warrant 5
Warrant 14
Flagged Down 5
Area Check 13
Area Check 5
Fight 12
Trespassing 4
Trespassing 10
Public Works 4
Theft 7
Extra Patrol 3
Medical 6
Robbery 2
* Top 10 final call types are the most common types of calls and are not equal to total calls for service. 136
71 30
0 50
100
150
Calls for Services Identified Homeless Individuals Persons with Repeat Contacts Figure 4 - Call Statistics for Identified Subjects in
RD 11 & 14 and County Wash Areas
90-Days: 10/18/21 - 1/16/22
Calls for Services Identified Homeless Individuals Persons with Repeat Contacts 90-Day Report on Camping Enforcement Efforts
February 15, 2022
Most homeless-related calls are regarding a Homeless Encounter, which means a caller reported a homeless person in the area. In these instances, the Officer makes contact and provides resources, if applicable ; however, no crime was committed. Citywide, the second most common call type involving a homeless person was a request for extra patrol. In the focus area, Arcadia Municipal Code vi olations were the second most common, which includes, but is not limited to, illegal encampments.
The total homeless -related calls for service Citywide (1,054) resulted in 61 cases being forwarded to the Detective Bureau for investigation, including 31 arrests. Of these cases, 33 occurred in the focus area, which involved 13 arrests. In comparison to the total homeless- related calls for service in the focus area (440), th e amount that resulted in further investigation is equal to approximately 8%. Figure 6 below shows the type of cases that Officers enforced upon in the focus area in the 90-day reporting period.
FIGURE 6 – HOMELESS-RELATED CALLS
ENFORCEMENT IN FOCUS AREA
90-DAYS: 10/18/21 - 1/16/22
Case Type Cases Arrests
Encampment 12
Outstanding Warrant 3 3
72-Hour Clean-up Notice 2
Drinking in Public 2 2
Possible Mail Theft 2
Robbery (pending investigation) 2 1
Mental Health Hold 1
Bench Warrant & Parole Violation 1 1
Fire Assist 1
Kidnapping, Battery, & Bringing a Controlled Substance into Jail 1 1
Littering 1 1
Medical Assist 1
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia 1 1
Possession of Metal Knuckles and a Controlled Substance, Prohibited Person in Possession of Ammunition, and 2
Misdemeanor Warrants
1 1
Trespassing & Battery on a Peace Officer 1 1
Trespassing 1 1
TOTAL 33 13
Overall, the C amping Ordinance is having a positive impact on deterring unlawful camping, especially within the focus area . Coupled with the Department’s enforcement efforts and the City’s new unlawful camping signage, homeless-related calls for services, including calls related to unlawful camping, are decreasing. In addition, the Department’s Homeless Engagement and Liaison Program (“HELP”) Team will continue to educate and attempt to gain trust with individuals experiencing homelessness, which Officers recognize has a direct influence on the homeless’ willingness to accept outreach services and immediate resources. The HELP team will also make enforcement actions when appropriate.
90-Day Report on Camping Enforcement Efforts
February 15, 2022
It is recommended that the City continue to track camping enforcement efforts and report back to the City Council in another 90 days with a subsequent progress report.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
The proposed action does not constitute a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), and it can be seen with certainty that it will have no impact on the environment. Thus, this matter is exempt under CEQA under Sections 15060(c)(2) and 15060(c)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines.
FISCAL IMPACT
There are costs associated with tracking camping enforcement efforts. Although there is no fiscal impact on the General Fund, there are undetermined costs associated with the staff time involved in tracking and analyzing the calls for service data. Currently, staff does track the number of calls for service related to homeless ness and camping issues, and they range widely. These costs are absorbed within existing operations and budgets. It is anticipated that with ongoing enforcement efforts, the number of contacts with individuals experiencing homelessness will decrease, resulting in fewer interactions with Officers and less incidents to track and analyze.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council determine that this action does not constitute a project and is therefore, exempt under , the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”); and direct the City Manager to continue to track camping enforcement efforts and report back to the City Council in 90 days with another progress report.
Attachments: “A” – No Camping City Signage
“B” – Camping Enforcement Map
No Camping N/A 10/20/21
Kevin
DevinArcadia
Arcadia Municipal Code §7872
Subject to Enforcement and Penalty
Report a Violation: (626) 574-5151
For more information on
Homeless Resources call 2-1-1
Or Visit ArcadiaCA.gov/homeless
Arcadia Municipal Code §7872
Subject to Enforcement and Penalty
Report a Violation: (626) 574-5151
For more information on Homeless Resources call 2-1-1
Or Visit ArcadiaCA.gov/homeless
NO CAMPING
NO FIRES
NO CAMPING
Park Playgrounds
Picnic Areas
Tables & Benches
Pavilions
Artificial Turf Areas
NO FIRES
Attachment "A"
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S 2nd
Ave
S B
aldw
in Ave
W Duarte Rd
S Santa
An
ita Ave
W Huntington Dr
W Foothill Blvd
N
Santa
Anita Ave
El
M
onte
Ave
Las Tunas Dr
N 2nd A
ve
E Longden Ave
E Live Oak Ave
S Mayf
lower
Ave
E Huntington Dr
W Longden Ave
E Duarte Rd
N Baldw
in A
ve
W Live Oak Ave
Peck
Rd
Arcadia City Boundary
Sphere of Influence
Parcels
Anti Camping Enforcement Areas
!(
Streets
Anti Camping
Enforcement Areas
City of Arcadia, California
Ü
00 .51
Miles
Data Sources: City of Arcadia,
County of Los Angeles
Date Created: January 10, 2021
Attachment "B"