Police remove homeless encampments from two Petaluma locations

Petaluma police joined forces with a group of volunteers to clean up a scattering of illegal homeless encampments from Shollenberger Park and the 400 block of Hopper Street on Saturday, according to a news release from the department.

Police and volunteers from the Petaluma Wetlands Alliance and the Santa Rosa Catholic Charities worked from about 8 a.m. to noon to remove more than 40 yards of wood debris, garbage and waste from the six unoccupied encampments and disposal sites that were mostly located near the banks of Adobe Creek and the SMART tracks, police said.

Officials had visited the camps in the days leading up to the large-scale effort to give notice of the planned cleanup, and outreach workers were on hand to offer assistance to any homeless individuals in the area, according to the release.

In December 2015, the police department was awarded a $500,000 grant from CalRecycle to fund a full-time homeless outreach officer for two years and to facilitate the abatement of illegal encampments, which pose a threat to public safety and the environment, police said.

Officer Ryan DeBaeke was selected in January as the department's first full-time homeless outreach services team, or “HOST,” officer. He was joined in July by HOST Officer Zilverio Rivera and the duo is working with outreach staff from local organizations to connect the city's homeless population with housing and other services, police said.

Those wishing to report illegal encampments can call 707-778-4455 or email Rdebaeke@ci.petaluma.ca.us or Zrivera@ci.petaluma.ca.us.

(Contact Hannah Beausang at hannah.beausang@arguscourier.com. On Twitter @hannahbeausang.)