The NIMBY’s in north Santa Ana have been gnashing their teeth of late about the homeless shenanigans at the vacant office building at 2525 N. Main St. but what is happening there is just the tip of the iceberg.
The developer at that property ended up shuttering it entirely. He is paying for roving mobile security daily and all night. But what about all the other vacant properties in Santa Ana?
One reader sent me a comment today that he found a homeless vagrant in his secure apartment complex, sleeping. This is surely not an isolated incident.
As we all shelter in place and avoid social contact the businesses the homeless relied on for dumpster diving no longer have much food in their trash cans.
A trio of vagrants recently killed one of their own at Santiago Park. They were all known for panhandling. I suspect that this murder was just a sign of the unrest and desperation in that community.
Vagrants also recently broke into and vandalized the Lawn Bowling Center at Santiago Park. There is roving mobile security now in our parks but these miscreants must have timed their attack.
Even worse the SAPD is hand-tied right now as they know the Courts don’t want to be bogged down with misdemeanors and the O.C. Sheriff is already releasing criminals from jail early as officials try to keep COVID-19 from infecting everyone there including jail employees.
This is all happening while certain Santa Ana City Council members keep attacking the concept of sheltering the homeless in our city. Yes there are a few shelters but most of the homeless in our streets cannot gain access to shelter in many cases because they cannot prove a connection to Santa Ana.
Leaving these people in the street is a recipe for disaster! It is a certainty that COVID-19 will eventually infect them. They will in turn carry that infection into our public parks and streets.
Right now, for example, the homeless have few options when it comes to using the restroom. Most businesses have closed. There are few public options. At night, when the park restrooms are closed, there are no options at all. Where do you suppose they are defecating? Doctors say that the COVID-19 virus can be spread through fecal matter. Imagine tracking that into your home if you step on it?
Many of our readers on Facebook have been sending me pictures of the homeless breaking into vacant properties. This will only get worse as the pandemic continues.
At some point I suspect we are going to start seeing outright rioting, looting and home invasions.
I have no answers for this disaster and I am dismayed that our city leaders are just ignoring this. In most cases their only answer is to say that other cities should be sheltering the homeless. Well maybe so but this is a crisis here and now! We can’t just kick the ball down the road any more.
What will we do when reports come in about an elderly couple that was home invaded and killed? I assure you this is going to happen and soon if we don’t do something.
