The number of unhoused individuals is growing around the country, which is particularly high in California. Not only is the number rising, but also the locations where the unhoused encampments emerge are increasing rapidly, and are spreading to areas that were not conventionally associated with unhoused persons. This has led to many encampments being set up on private properties. If this has already happened to you, you could be wondering what you should do about this situation. This blog will help you understand what to do with these encampments in front of your home.
Understanding Los Angeles Housing Crisis Issues
Living near an encampment can mean crossing sidewalks that have been completely overrun by tents and filled with trash or even human excrement. It could mean putting up with the chatter, disputes, and screams of persons who live on the sidewalks below your windows. It could also mean drugs are being used or possibly the risk of violence.
It's impossible to read the articles without noticing the obvious: encampments of the unhoused are unpleasant for everyone. It's certainly awful for people caught in its clutches, whether they're on the sidewalks or in shelters; they are usually troubled, poor, afraid, and defenseless.
However, it has an impact on the remainder of the city, and it's still another argument why efforts to address it must be stepped up.
The Los Angeles' unhoused population has soared to approximately 64,000 individuals in the past years, with most of them remaining unsheltered outside the streets. A lack of permanent housing and shelter beds has sparked confrontations between the unhoused and the housed in communities, provoking anger, despair, sympathy, hostility, and a variety of other emotional responses among the city's non-housed residents.
The city must work even harder and much more efficiently to combat homelessness. This problem requires fair policies that strike a compromise between the rights of the unhoused and also the necessity to keep Los Angeles clean, secure, and habitable.
There are other difficult decisions to be made, including when and where unhoused people can camp on the city's streets, if and when legislation must be executed against them, as well as who needs to pay (and just how much) for housing initiatives.
Los Angeles residents who make their rents plus taxes did not cause the current state of the housing problems and they all have to cope with this situation. And, for the most part, unhoused persons end up in encampments because of a multitude of factors: Lost jobs, foreclosures, abusive marriages, drug addictions, mental problems, and poverty, among others.
What Should You Do with Encampments of Unhoused Persons In Front of Your Home?
As we are all now aware, Los Angeles outperforms the majority of the nation. As per the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, California is home to approximately one-third of the country's severely unhoused persons and families. Many of these people live in Los Angeles, although there are also considerable numbers in Riverside County, Orange County, Santa Barbara County, and San Bernardino County.
A glaring fact of homelessness in Los Angeles and also in Southern California is that unsheltered children, women, and men are not only present in lower-income and more socially and economically disadvantaged city neighborhoods. Instead, unhoused people's encampments may now be seen practically anywhere, especially in more upscale suburban areas.
As a result of this reality, many individuals wonder, "What should I do about the unhoused people in front of my home?" Based on who is asking the question, this can mean two things:
- What should I do to remove encampments in front of my home or the neighborhood?
- What do I need to do to assist the unhoused persons in my neighborhood and my community?
Another common occurrence in Los Angeles is the growing population of unhoused encampments that may be found practically anywhere throughout the county. Although previously, encampments were mostly located in the city's and county's impoverished areas, there are currently very few communities that haven't seen the emergence of unhoused encampments in the past few years.
One of the realities of encampments is how they can create unsafe conditions and circumstances. These can range from criminal activity to diseases to dangerous materials being dumped in and near the encampments.
If you have a real encampment in your community, you might be able to get some help from the authorities. Based on where an encampment of unhoused persons is located in your community, police authorities may be capable of removing the encampment's "members" using nuisance, trespassing, or any other local or state statutes or regulations.
Law enforcement officers could be able to intervene if you have witnessed unlawful behavior involving unhoused people in your area, including in or near an encampment. If you notify the authorities of criminal behavior, you must be prepared to testify when needed in favor of prosecution if proceedings are brought as a result of your report.
Whenever it concerns a genuine desire to help unhoused persons in your neighborhood or your area, something you should resist doing is simply handing them money. You can make a financial donation to an institution that helps those who are unhoused if you want to help them out. There are several respected nonprofits in California that provide various forms of programs to help unhoused persons.
Protecting Your Property
An overall action you have to consider when you start to see unhoused people or encampments in your community is to consider an evaluation of your home security systems. Think about putting security cameras all around the periphery of your residence in this respect. You'll also want to ensure your property is equipped with a sophisticated security system that includes doors and windows, and motion sensors.
When unhoused persons start appearing in your community, or when an encampment starts to grow, you need to post no trespassing signs across your property. You can submit a no-trespassing form to the law enforcement agencies in your area. This adds to the impact of the no-trespassing signs that have been erected on your property. This form must be submitted once a year.
Contact Law Enforcement Authorities
Make a report to the authorities about what is going on in your community. You might or might not receive a reply from the authorities depending on where you live. However, in certain neighborhoods, you might be able to get a reply. There are certain steps you could take to better guarantee law enforcement involvement. (These will be covered in more detail later in this blog.)
If you see an unhoused person perpetrate a crime in or around an encampment, you should immediately inform the police. Based on the severity of the incident you witnessed, law enforcement could be capable of responding relatively quickly.
California laws do not allow for the pursuit of a citizen's arrest. However, this could be a useful tool if you're dealing with unhoused people or an encampment in your community.
You can also inform law enforcement officers in California if you see someone perpetrating a misdemeanor offense. A misdemeanor is a less serious crime. When handling the unhoused people or an encampment of unhoused individuals, you should be aware of the following forms of crimes:
- Trespassing.
- Public urination.
- Public intoxication.
You notify the police or sheriff that you have observed a crime and a police officer will be sent to your address. You are not supposed to take someone into custody or constrain them in any manner.
Do Not Self Help
You must never indulge in what is theoretically termed as self-help when you have unhoused individuals congregating in front of your property. This means that, without the involvement and help of law enforcement agencies, you shouldn't try to eliminate unhoused persons from your premises by yourself.
Self-helping to evict unhoused persons off your land is loaded with risks of various kinds. You face the risk of getting into a physical fight. You could potentially or unwittingly perform an act that puts you in legal trouble with an unhoused person who was on the property.
Trespass Arrest Authorization Form
As we briefly discussed before, several California communities, notably Los Angeles, have developed processes that allow law officers to not only remove any trespassers from their personal property but also to arrest them. This includes any unhoused people that may be on your premises. People who have set up an encampment on your property are covered in the scope of these guidelines.
The annual submission of the Trespass Arrest Authorization Form is at the core of the system that allows police departments to not only evict trespassers, such as unhoused folks, from your property.
You have to fill out two copies of the form. You should keep one copy for yourself and submit the other one to the Los Angeles Police Department at:
LAPD Paciļ¬c Division
You must also post a very detailed no trespassing signage in a visible spot (or spots) on your estate along with completing the paperwork. The following text must appear on the sign:
Private Property
No Trespassing
No Loitering
No Soliciting
Violators will be prosecuted
LAMC Sec. 41.24
The last line relates to a part of the Los Angeles Municipal Code that allows police officers to apprehend a trespasser if the above-mentioned form is completed and this notice is displayed on the property.
If you reside in a different community, you should inquire directly with your local police agency or the sheriff's office to see if they offer an equivalent arrest authorization program.
Using Security Cameras for Loitering
Placing security cameras outside of your home is a good method to keep people without permanent housing off your estate and prevent overall crime. People will be less inclined to camp outside that area surrounding your home if they notice high-quality security cameras constantly monitoring the region. When somebody is loitering or becoming a nuisance, the security cameras can also help you in getting authorities to the area. Many calls regarding disruptions are received by police, but only a small percentage of them are taken seriously. However, if you have video evidence, the case will be given more priority, which means law enforcement officials will be able to handle it more quickly.
Even when an intrusion occurs, certain video systems can transmit cloud-based warnings to your phone and/or immediately contact local police authorities. If you have a problem with unhoused individuals trespassing into your property, these security cameras could help by instantly identifying anyone who trespasses and ensuring that they are removed from your property as soon as possible.
Remote Video Surveillance
If you would like to ensure that your home is protected from vandalism and loitering, live video surveillance can help. With remote video surveillance, qualified security agents continuously monitor footage from the security cameras, making sure that any crimes are spotted quickly and authorities can respond appropriately.
You can contact the police to have them removed from the premises if they fail to move. Combining smart surveillance cameras with CCTV surveillance systems is among the most effective strategies to ensure that law enforcement arrives on the scene to remove trespassers from your property. Any intruders will be detected by a sophisticated monitoring system with video surveillance, which will notify you to guarantee no events are overlooked. You can then assess if the alert was a false alarm, or a much more major crime in progress, and if required, you can contact law enforcement.
Using Private Security Services
You would not want to leave anything to chance whenever it comes to securing your home. You can hire private security guards to keep your home safe from trespassers, solicitors, or intruders. Security personnel that has been trained may assist you in enhancing your security and the safety around your home.
Once you hire security personnel for your home, your property will be protected 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The security professionals will keep a close eye on your home even when you are on vacation, working, or resting.
The sight of a professional security guard on your property can deter a lot of criminal activity. When a security officer is constantly monitoring your property, the people without housing may think twice about setting camp, loitering, or trying to trespass into your home. Video surveillance can help avoid some form of criminal behavior, but they are usually only useful after an event has occurred. The presence of security at your location will also make you and your family feel more at ease.
They are also taught to pay great attention to their working environments and to be on alert for occurrences that are out of the ordinary. They are trained to check for signals that someone is intending to commit a crime, such as theft.
Thorough observation also requires observing critical details that most individuals overlook. They are also trained on the proper procedures for holding suspected offenders until law enforcement comes. The security guards will then turn the offenders over to the police and provide witness accounts regarding the alleged offenses.
Removing the encampments is already a difficult undertaking for Los Angeles residents. However, at Green Knight Security we work collaboratively with the police in these specified regions to assist in the removal of the unhoused. Our team of qualified security experts will assist in the removal of unhoused people from areas where setting up camping has been prohibited.
We will use our security patrol personnel to monitor these locations to guarantee that individuals who have been removed do not return.
When you hire security personnel, both uniformed and non-uniformed, they will stay on-site to guarantee that no one loiters, sits, or sleeps in the prohibited areas. Our agents will also file daily updates on the happenings in these designated regions. As a result, anytime the client requests a written report on the project's progress, we will quickly deliver a copy.
You might also consider hiring security guards who are permitted to carry firearms on the job. This will be a deterrent to persons without housing from setting up their encampments outside your home.
Dealing with Older or Minor Persons without Housing
Consider notifying Adult Protective Services or Child Protective Services if you come across an elder or minor unhoused individual. These are organizations that fall under the jurisdiction of the California Department of Social Services.
Based on the situation of individuals in these groups, an older person or child may be able to get some form of support. As a result, an individual who's been sleeping on the streets in your area may be able to improve his or her circumstances, which will benefit not only that individual but also you and your family.
What You Should Not Do
You shouldn't give money or food to an unhoused person, despite how horrible their situation makes you feel. Offering them money or food can lead to entanglements you weren't expecting. You should never, also bring food to an encampment. Likewise, you must avoid any unwanted physical contact with an encampment, as well as any inappropriate involvement with its residents.
Find the Best Private Security Services Near Me
If you are in Los Angeles and are seeking ways to remove encampments in your neighborhood, you can contact Green Knight Security. We will work hand in hand with the authorities to make sure that you and your family are safe and the unhoused persons are removed from your property. Call us at 844-457-8326 today.
