Homeless forced from camps in the Arroyo Simi
Two dozen transients told to pack up and leave
By Avi Rutschman avi@theacorn.com

SEBASTIAN RAMIREZ/Special to The Acorn TIME TO GO- This notice, posted Tuesday on a tree in the Arroyo Simi wash, asked all people living in the wash to "Please Vacate These Premises and Remove Your Property Immediately."

The Rancho Simi Recreation and Parks District launched a cleanup of the Arroyo Simi on Thursday to eliminate health and safety hazards posed by illegal homeless encampments.

"Our primary mission is to provide parks and recreation activities; we are not charged with providing areas for the homeless to sleep in," said Larry Peterson, the general manager of the Park District.

The cleanup, which focused on the south side of the arroyo, was conducted by five maintenance staff, a bulldozer tractor and two dump trucks, according to officials.

"Our crews worked on the south side of the arroyo and we managed to clean up some of the abandoned camps," Peterson said. "We made progress, but it's slow going."

According to officials, the site was littered with garbage, wood, tents, containers, propane tanks, electrical wires and even a solar energy panel.

SEBASTIAN RAMIREZ/Special to The Acorn TRASHED- A collection of garbage and debris clutters the area near a homeless camp in the Arroyo Simi.

The Simi Valley Police Department assisted the parks district in their cleanup effort and issued misdemeanor citations to homeless individuals that refused to leave.

According to Lt. Greg Riegert of the Simi Valley Police Department, approximately nine citations were written.

"There is a community here and a support system to help homeless individuals, but it doesn't stand for illegal camping on park district or city property," Peterson said.

Members of the Sonrise Christian Fellowship of Simi Valley held a rally the morning of the cleanup to offer support to homeless individuals, according to the Rev. Craig Peterson of the Sonrise Christian Fellowship.

"When word got out that the arroyo was going to be cleared out, people in our church that work with the homeless wanted to make sure that there were people praying for them," the pastor said.

"We wanted the homeless to know that there were people who were willing to help them and be there for them."

SEBASTIAN RAMIREZ/Special to The Acorn ASKED TO LEAVE- John Giffin, 33, Sue Marine, 53, and Jeff Appeoson, 57, display the citations they were issued Tuesday by Simi Valley Police for violating municipal and park district code.

According to Pastor Peterson, members of his congregation have developed relationships with the homeless through the church's weekly food pantry.

"We don't take the stance that they have the right to be on that property, but we support them as people," said the pastor.

"We want to make sure that these folks that don't have much know that there is someone that cares for them and is willing to give them a hand," he added.