Authorities address homeless encampment issues near business
UPDATE: 6:20 p.m.
Jenny Johnson said she saw a change of scenery Thursday compared to what she noticed last week behind her salon in Bermuda Dunes.
“We were just having some random homeless people just entering the salon, asking for services, asking for water,” Johnson said. “In the last week, we haven’t had any issues. And as I come back and look, they’ve cleaned up a lot of the trash, mattresses and tents. So I’m happy with the progress that has happened.”
Johnson said the homeless encampment near railroad tracks once littered with mattresses, tents and various items is mostly cleared out.
It’s an issue Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputies say they try to address to not only protect business owners, but also those homeless, especially living near potentially hazardous situations.
“We want to be there so that if there’s a person who wants to get out of the element, who wants to get out of the environment living near the railroad tracks, they want to go into a shelter, we can provide that service,” Sgt. Juan Zamora with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said. “We can provide them in the right direction.”
While Johnson said she’s going in a new direction, with peace of mind.
“Besides feeling safe, I actually feel like that people care,” Johnson said. “And I’m a small business owner, and this is kind of a dream. And it makes me feel good that other people care for my safety and my staff.”
Johnson said she has noticed law enforcement officers patrolling the area more often.
Zamora said they could not speak about this particular issue, with it being on railroad grounds.
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ORIGINAL STORY: 5:07 p.m.
A homeless encampment next to the railroad tracks, near the intersection of Washington Street and Country Club Drive, has caused some concerns for a business owner in Bermuda Dunes. But she says authorities are now working to resolve some of the issues she’s been seeing.
KESQ and CBS Local 2’s Zak Dahlheimer first looked into the situation on August 5.
He met with the business owner and local authorities on Thursday and he’ll show you what’s being done to curtail the issues in the area.
Watch the full report on KESQ News Channel 3 at 6 p.m. and CBS Local 2 at 6:30 p.m.
