Harvey West workers complain of increased illegal activity after Pacific Avenue crackdown

Greg Woolever is tired of watching troublemakers urinate on a lawn down the street as he talks to clients at his auto repair and radiator shop in Harvey West.

[rita]

Homeless population increases, making people disappear is not going to happen, banning from one area while not dealing with issue just makes a problem in another area. Unless you want to line up the homeless and shoot them, we have to deal with an increasing problem. Not having access to restroom facilities doesn't decrease the need to defecate or urinate from a human being. Just being able to take a shower and have clean clothes makes an amazing difference in ones' outlook on the world. No, we are not talking about the less than 20 real problem homeless, we are talking about a population that is growing everyday. People that, falling through the cracks, find that the longer they are homeless, the harder it becomes to climb back up the ladder.

[Gaileen]

I have noticed the increase of the scummy element of homeless loitering in the area. If the shelter is there, why are the bums urinating and defecating against the buildings? Why didn't the guy with the BBQ take it down the street to the picnic tables at the park?

People who are homeless because of financial misfortune are not the bums causing problems, the bums are drunks and drug addicts.

[WS Native]

"Not everyone blames the heightened enforcement downtown for the increased problems in Harvey West. Homeless Services Center Director Doug Loisel, whose nonprofit is on the corner of Coral and River streets, said the economy has forced more people into homelessness, although he condemned the illegal behavior."

Wake up! Ever since this VAGRANT haven, the Homeless Center, opened the number of VAGRANTS has been increasing on a yearly basis. This non-profit is nothing more then someone's idea for self employment. Employment by donations/grants and the donations/grants increase with the increased number of VAGRANTS. The VAGRANTS are from outta town. Close this center down, increase and enforce regulations and the VAGRANTS will disappear. Can't wait for the day I retire, I will be running for City Council and this will be my agenda. Unfortunately retirement is a way off. Listen up VAGRANT supporters, the majority of people in Santa Cruz feel this way and will support this agenda.

[35 Year Local]

I've seen this first hand, operating a business in Harvey West like Greg Woolever at Polar Radiator. It is not the "homeless" that are the problem. It is the chronic alcoholics, drug addicts/dealers, prostitutes/pimps and homeless by choice folks. I call these people bums. They expect free food, shelter and maybe a shower once in a while, but don't suggest they actually try to get a job. There are two other types I noticied while I was there for > 5 years. The mentally ill and the homeless by circumstance need help and seek it out, trying to change their situation. Greg, myself and other business owners in that area have sympathy and compassion for these latter two types but are enraged when the bums get labeled homeless. The bums take resources away from those who can truly utilize the available resources to better themselves and are the cause the unlawful activity. Let's start calling it the way it is rather than using the term homeless to apply to bums. The term homeless generates sympathy and deviates scarce resources away from those who could really use it.

[Gail Levey]

35 Year Local wrote:

I've seen this first hand, operating a business in Harvey West like Greg Woolever at Polar Radiator. It is not the "homeless" that are the problem. It is the chronic alcoholics, drug addicts/dealers, prostitutes/pimps and homeless by choice folks. I call these people bums. They expect free food, shelter and maybe a shower once in a while, but don't suggest they actually try to get a job. There are two other types I noticied while I was there for > 5 years. The mentally ill and the homeless by circumstance need help and seek it out, trying to change their situation. Greg, myself and other business owners in that area have sympathy and compassion for these latter two types but are enraged when the bums get labeled homeless. The bums take resources away from those who can truly utilize the available resources to better themselves and are the cause the unlawful activity. Let's start calling it the way it is rather than using the term homeless to apply to bums. The term homeless generates sympathy and deviates scarce resources away from those who could really use it.

Excellent post, I could not agree more.

[beejar]

The vehicle abatement department seems completely unwilling to enforce parking regulations so it would be a waste of time to follow-up on Don Lane's idea of parking limits. I've been complaining about an RV in front of my house since last November. It's still there.

[Smoke]

While I'm not necessarily for a ban on marijuana, I am absolutely against having to be inundated with marijuana smells and smoke in public spaces. The problem is not only at Harvey West but is constantly there on West Cliff drive, especially at the car park near the Surfer's Museum and former dog's beach. Marijuana smell and smoke is quite nauseating for many of us. If you want to smoke it, go somewhere else so that the smell doesn't affect other people.

To marijuana smokers: you want your freedom to smoke I can handle that. But I also want my freedom to breathe fresh scentless air not inundated with nauseating smells.

[Redwood Girl]

Don't worry, if their cars are leaking fluid when they drive on by, they won't get far! LOL

[Helbard]

That's how it works. Crime never goes away, it moves. We cleaned up Lower Broadway and now Upper Broadway has had an increase in theft and assaults. Every neighborhood needs to be active against crime to drive it out of the city.

thelowerbroadway.com

[OVER IT]

Greg Woolever has been super nice over the years with these people. He has given them water use, helped them with cars being fixed and so on... Greg is a great person and runs a great shop and service!
I use to work there. I see some truely crazy things happen there on coral street with the bums. There is drug deals and hookers working all day. Its crazy when you see these hookers going in and out of the rvs all day with diffrent guys. Greg has dealt with murders,drug dealer,hookers,people shit,people pissing,people leaving there cars in his lot and so on and has still kept his cool about it all. GREAT JOB GREG AND POLAR!!!
You people should spend aday down on coral st and you would be like what the heck is going on! Also you will see police cars from other citys dropping off bums in santa cruz that will really piss you off.

[Bonny Dooner]

35 Year Local wrote:

I've seen this first hand, operating a business in Harvey West like Greg Woolever at Polar Radiator. It is not the "homeless" that are the problem. It is the chronic alcoholics, drug addicts/dealers, prostitutes/pimps and homeless by choice folks. I call these people bums. They expect free food, shelter and maybe a shower once in a while, but don't suggest they actually try to get a job. There are two other types I noticied while I was there for > 5 years. The mentally ill and the homeless by circumstance need help and seek it out, trying to change their situation. Greg, myself and other business owners in that area have sympathy and compassion for these latter two types but are enraged when the bums get labeled homeless. The bums take resources away from those who can truly utilize the available resources to better themselves and are the cause the unlawful activity. Let's start calling it the way it is rather than using the term homeless to apply to bums. The term homeless generates sympathy and deviates scarce resources away from those who could really use it.

I agree, great post. How about "homeless" get drug tested before they can receive services?

[wtf]

SC Native wrote:

Yes, I do want to line up the homeless and shoot them. Most of them are like ticks, draining this societies resources, using drugs, leaving their waste and garbage everywhere. SC has a disproportionate amount of them here, and we shouldn't. Get them out of here! Kick their lazy dirty a$%%^$ out of this town. Take back our town from the failed socialist liberal agenda. Spending money irresponsibly while civic necessities go unfunded. The whole left wing hippie movement went horribly wrong. Wake up America! SC native, age 35.

Stay in walnut creek, it sounds like you belong there.

[Whosdat]

Helbard wrote:

That's how it works. Crime never goes away, it moves. We cleaned up Lower Broadway and now Upper Broadway has had an increase in theft and assaults. Every neighborhood needs to be active against crime to drive it out of the city.
thelowerbroadway.com

Everyone is ignoring the fact that it's not just one or two area's of Santa Cruz....it's the whole dang town!!!!!!!

[Tara Rinaldi]

I know that homeless men have gone into buildings at Harvey West park to use facilities or get water -- buildings that house Parks and Rec summer camps for kids. Not okay for anyone from the public to wander in to daycare facilities with children inside. This is a huge safety issue.

[mad men]

Smoke wrote:

While I'm not necessarily for a ban on marijuana, I am absolutely against having to be inundated with marijuana smells and smoke in public spaces. The problem is not only at Harvey West but is constantly there on West Cliff drive, especially at the car park near the Surfer's Museum and former dog's beach. Marijuana smell and smoke is quite nauseating for many of us. If you want to smoke it, go somewhere else so that the smell doesn't affect other people.

To marijuana smokers: you want your freedom to smoke I can handle that. But I also want my freedom to breathe fresh scentless air not inundated with nauseating smells.

and I want the FREEDOM not to read comments like yours but I do anyway. That makes me an IDIOT just like you. oh well excuse me so I can WALK 100 feet down the road away from your nauseating post.

Back to the subject- I could not agree more, this is not a HOMELESS issue, it is a BUM issue. If this is a CYCLICAL problem then the police AND DON LANE should cruise the Harvey West area more often and enforce the no vagrancy laws since PACIFIC AVE is so much cleaner now.

[Downtown and Around]

The idea should not be to chase obnoxious behavior from one neighborhood to another. The idea should be to make such behavior uncomfortable in ALL neighborhoods. The perpetrators can either change their public demeanor or find a more welcoming town to piss on.

[Fred]

Gaileen wrote:

I have noticed the increase of the scummy element of homeless loitering in the area. If the shelter is there, why are the bums urinating and defecating against the buildings? Why didn't the guy with the BBQ take it down the street to the picnic tables at the park?
People who are homeless because of financial misfortune are not the bums causing problems, the bums are drunks and drug addicts.

Great post. We really do need to realize there is a huge difference between the unintentional homeless and bums/drunks/trolls/lowlifes/la zy a-holes/scumbags/ETC. Something the infamous Becky never seems to get.

[Fred]

They censored T-ro-lls. A little too much S.C. Sentanal.

[Becky Johnson]

FROM THE ARTICLE: ""You try to crack down and they move to the next place," said Santa Cruz Park Ranger John Wallace, whose office is in Harvey West and who sees the problems firsthand. "You just do the best you can."

BECKY: As HUFF has been saying FOR YEARS---we need a homeless campground AND a homeless carpark so that people have a legal and safe place they can go. Porta-potties prevent unwanted urination and defecation. Dumpsters prevent litter from trashing our parks and neighborhoods. BTW--the "Illegal behavior" is 90% sleeping at night, using a blanket, or camping--NOT "drug dealing" or "prostitution".

[Becky Johnson]

DBS WRITES: "Be sure to thank Robert Norse and Becky Johnson for all of their efforts in putting the word on the street, that Santa Cruz is a great destination for every parasite in North America."

BECKY: Oh, that makes a lot of sense. Robert and I write about the Sleeping Ban, the Blanket ban, the sitting ban, the begging ban, the harassment by police and the courts, and about how social services are being harassed and shut down. How could that be called "putting the word on the street, that Santa Cruz is a great destination for every (homeless person)in North America?"