San Jose police said a raid at a campground on New Year’s Eve uncovered $15,000 worth of stolen tools.
City leaders say this is proof that the new community quality of life department is working.
Police recovered thousands of dollars worth of stolen tools and returned them to a plumber in St. Maarten, and arrested all involved.
“This is just a great example of what we want our community quality of life department to do,” Mayor Matt Mahan said.
The brand-new unit is a top priority for Mahan as a way to aggressively enforce the city’s code of conduct to address issues like the growing number of homeless encampments across the city.
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An important role of the Community Quality of Life Department is to strictly enforce “no camping” zones throughout the city, including one at Mayberry Road on Highway 101, where the roundup took place.
“In this case, the team stumbled upon a shipment of stolen equipment,” Mahan said. “Homelessness is not a crime, but we want people to accept shelter and housing services if they are available. If not, at least comply with our basic laws.”
Homeless advocate Shaunn Cartwright said the seizure highlighted the larger problem of criminal street gangs using encampments as crime fronts.
While she doesn’t yet know who’s at fault, she said the announcement of the busts may represent the city’s misplaced blame on homeless people.
“The city needs to make a decision: Are the homeless people unmotivated drug-addicted psychopaths, or are they criminal masterminds?” Cartwright said.
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