BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — On Wednesday, Bakersfield police, code enforcement, and mental health officials cleared a vacant lot on V Street once overrun with homeless individuals and criminal activity.
- Operations like this are becoming more common, said Lt. Nicole Anderberg, who credited a comprehensive model for addressing community concerns.
On Wednesday, Bakersfield police, code enforcement, and mental health officials cleared a vacant lot on V Street once overrun with homeless individuals and criminal activity. Operations like this are becoming more common, said Lt. Nicole Anderberg, who credited a comprehensive model for addressing community concerns.
“I think you can look at it as an efficient model for addressing these types of issues because many of these problems are complex,” Anderberg said. “You can have a component addressing mental health, code enforcement tackling specific issues, and law enforcement involved as well.”
Officials said the cleanup of the encampment was a result of a staff walk earlier this month. Anderberg also highlighted the proximity to schools and bus stops as additional concerns for residents.
“We’ll definitely be monitoring and ensuring the camping doesn’t return,” Anderberg said. “We’ll increase patrols, but we also encourage the community to partner with us and let us know if they see anything.”
Anderberg acknowledged the challenges they face in meeting the community's needs, citing limited bed space in jails, local shelters, and individuals' refusal of services.
“I tell the unit, we do what we can,” Anderberg said. “We will continue to address the community’s needs in the best way possible, while acknowledging the factors outside our control.”
As part of ongoing efforts, Anderberg also noted that the Impact Unit has added a fourth code enforcement and rapid response team, along with two additional full-time footbeat officers in downtown and Old Kern areas.
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