Esco health emergency leads to encampment clearing
The city found ‘extreme’ levels of bacteria in the Escondido Creek and cleared a large homeless encampment to protect public health; at least 60 individuals lived in the area
ESCONDIDO — At least 60 homeless individuals were cleared from an encampment along the Escondido Creek on Monday after the city declared a public health emergency.
City crews, police and about 10 service providers set up at the Church of God on Harmony Grove Road to help those displaced by the emergency. The creek was cleared between Harmony Grove Road and Citracado Parkway.
Escondido police Lt. Jeff Valdivia said City Manager Sean McGlynn issued the local emergency on Sunday after testing showed water conditions and bacteria were found at “extreme” levels. The city provided 24-hour notice to the encampment under the city’s encampment abatement ordinance and contacted service providers.
Deputy City Manager Chris McKinney stressed the water impacted is from the creek and not the city’s drinking water or wastewater. He said those systems operate independently and have not been impacted by the bacteria.
On Monday night, the City Council ratified the emergency declaration, which also frees up $4 million from city reserves to address public health and clean the area, according to a city statement.
“The levels were so high and concerning it’s a public health emergency,” Valdivia said. “This week alone, we did head counts on three or four different days and we counted 61, 64 people living in this area. We just know it’s not safe for them to be there.”
Valdivia said the process will take another three to four days to clean up the creek. He said on Monday crews began from Citracado Parkway and worked north toward Harmony Grove Road to move the homeless, while public works crews followed police to clean the area.
As for the bacteria, the city reported water quality tests show “elevated” levels. Those include:
Coliform bacteria populations are two to three times higher than generally acceptable standards for safe and sanitary human contact;
Enterococcus bacteria levels are generally seven to 14 higher than acceptable standards for human contact. One location near an encampment showed an Enterococcus population more than 23 times the acceptable standard;
Both Coliform and Enterococci are typically used as so-called “indicator” bacteria whose presence is indicative of the overall bacteria population;
The presence of trash and human waste, coupled with the bacteria populations indicate both harm to the waterway and an unsafe human living condition.
Coliform bacteria often indicate fecal contamination, according to several studies, and can indicate the presence of other disease-causing organisms. Enterococcus bacteria are a common cause of urinary tract infections and infective endocarditis, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
Greg Angela, chief executive officer of the Escondido-based Interfaith Community Services, said his organization and others worked to get those impacted into shelter, services or rehabilitation services. He said the biggest challenges are storage space for personal items, along with space for pets.
Angela said an individual must have paperwork showing their pet is a certified support animal and must be vaccinated. He said Interfaith met with at least 43 people.
He said he understands the city’s position and said Interfaith does not advocate for individuals to live in a watershed. Angela said it is common for public health outbreaks to occur from encampments where human waste and trash are commonplace.
“We’ve been bringing together as many resources as we can to provide options for people being displaced,” he said. “Our homeless outreach teams are meeting with everyone individual coming out of the encampment to best connect them with resources for their situation. We had a couple of people come into our detox program, a couple for our recuperative care program and a small number of shelter beds we’re screening.”
During Monday’s emergency council meeting, McKinney said the area has long been an issue as city crews have removed more than 120 cubic yards of debris, while calls for service to the city and county fire departments have tripled to more than 60.
Also, the Development Services Department will solicit bids for fencing to block access to areas of the creek. The city will also remove invasive vegetation from the creek bed.
JP Theberge of the Escondido Creek Conservancy said the nonprofit, which conserves about 7,000 acres across the Escondido watershed, would like to propose solutions in coordination with the city to protect the land. He said the conservancy monitors and manages its property, but is willing to extend assistance to the city and would like to see the area become an active space and asset.
Theberge said with more people using the open space it will be more difficult for encampments to form.
Mayor Dane White and Councilwoman Judy Fitzgerald both expressed concerns with crime in the area over the past 10 years. White, who was once homeless, said while the day was a success in clearing the area for safety, he said it also highlights the city and state’s shortcomings.
He said the state’s healthcare system is failing homeless individuals, while the city must look at constructing more shelter beds.
“I think Escondido needs to direct more of its efforts in finding more shelter space,” White added. “We will continue to work with Interfaith on bringing more detox beds.”
Fitzgerald, a former police officer in Oceanside and Carlsbad, said she saw “clear” signs of human trafficking and signs of women and children living at the creek. Also, she said it was a “one-stop shop” for drug dealing and trafficking.
Councilwoman Consuelo Martinez said homelessness is a complex issue and she had mixed feelings about Monday’s action. Still, she said the area has been problematic for years, so she was in support for safety reasons.
Councilmen Christian and Joe Garcia (no relation) agreed with their colleagues and said the city must continue to work with its partners.
Follow North County Pipeline on Facebook, Instagram, X and Reddit. Send story ideas and tips to ncpipeline760@gmail.com.