By Khalida Sarwari
Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies arrested seven homeless camp demonstrators and issued 19 citations over the weekend, a sheriff’s spokesman said.
Deputies conducting a census Thursday counted 40 campers on the steps of the county courthouse where the campers have been frequenting for the past five weeks in protest of the city council’s decision to ban camping in the city.
On Friday and Saturday nights, deputies issued 19 citations and arrested seven people for allegedly lodging on county property without permission, Campos said.
The people arrested were those who refused to sign citations or who returned after receiving a citation, he said.
“Prior to any arrests they were given advisements to clear out,” Campos said. “We don’t like taking people to jail.”
Demonstrators began camping at the county’s justice building July 4. Their chosen county-owned patch of grass has brought into question the enforcement of the city’s policy.
Complaints by county workers and others about the activities, behavior, and trash produced by the demonstrators led to the sheriff’s department’s attention to the area.
Deputies and an inmate worker crew collected a large flatbed truck full of garbage from areas previously occupied by the campers, Campos said.
A private security guard has been hired to maintain order at the county building during the day. The sheriff’s office will continue with its enforcement action for as long as necessary, Campos said.