Talbert Park cleared of homeless campers

Elise Gee and Greg Risling

TALBERT PARK -- As of Thursday night, there is no one living in

this nature preserve park.

That might change over the next several days as homeless people -- who

were forced out of their makeshift homes by a team of law enforcement

agencies that included the Costa Mesa and Newport Beach police

departments -- may return to the site.

Police officers gave the homeless campers living in Talbert Park a

verbal warning Tuesday, telling them they had 48 hours to leave. Police

arrived early Thursday morning and found only two people residing in a

dilapidated shack. Leandra Aguilar and her boyfriend, John Williamson,

were cited for camping illegally and released.

Authorities said it appears all of the campsites haven’t been

abandoned, but they expect some transients may try to return to the park

over the weekend.

“They weren’t there when we got there, but it sure looked like people

were still living there,” said Costa Mesa Police Lt. John FitzPatrick.

“From here on out, we will cite anyone living down there. We are going to

enforce a strict policy.”

FitzPatrick added that work crews will start dismantling the remaining

campsites Tuesday. Police also will confiscate any items left behind by

those who once lived there.

Police decided to step up their enforcement at the park after they

received numerous complaints this summer by nearby residents who live in

a group of condominiums on 19th Street. Citing a combination of neighbor

complaints and accounts of violent crime, police swept through the park

in August and arrested two men.

Police have defended their actions by noting they have tried to take

the best possible path in dealing with the homeless problem, but not

everyone agrees with them.

Aguilar said she doesn’t feel police have been professional or

patient. She said she feels harassed, pointing to the 15 tickets she’s received from the Costa Mesa and Newport Beach police departments in the

last four months.

The tickets have been for expired automobile registration tags and

lack of proof of insurance. The $59 fine that comes with each ticket is

more than a homeless person can pay, Aguilar said.

Aguilar said she thinks police officers are using the tickets as a way

to intimidate her into leaving the area, particularly the Talbert

Marshes.

“We don’t have anywhere to go,” Aguilar said.

Others have supported the police efforts, including Jim Palmer,

president of the Orange County Rescue Mission.

Palmer said the police have worked hard to deal with the homeless

humanely.

However, Aguilar said, she is not the only homeless person being

harassed. Others have been pestered about minor infractions such as

failing to register their bicycles, she said.

The former Talbert resident also questioned whether police had a legal

right to perform a background check on Bruce McDonald, who was deported

to Canada this week.

McDonald, who raised eyebrows when appearing at council meetings, was

never arrested for a crime in connection with camping in Talbert.

Police said McDonald was disruptive enough to make council members

fearful.