"Fetty" = Fentanyl
How the City of Santa Cruz Sanctions Drug Slums
The City of Santa Cruz, CA and their Homeless Response Team (led by Larry Imwalle) have not only ignored warnings from the Center for Disease Control that drug overdose deaths in the USA have topped 100,000 annually, but have reportedly been hosting a drug camp in a city park. Complete with advertising for fentanyl sales ("Fetty”):
“Benchlands Sanctioned Camp: Staff planning includes the continuation of the existing Benchlands ‘camp (north of the pedestrian bridge) to provide an ultra-low barrier option that allows campers stability and access to services. As the transitional camps become operational, staff anticipates campers at the Benchlands-South moving into those locations, along with some additional campers from the Benchlands. The establishment of the transitional camps will generate additional space in the Benchlands, which, in turn, would create capacity for people to relocate from other areas within the City. With an overall reduction in the number of individuals camping in the Benchlands, staff would be able to provide enhanced oversight as compared to current conditions. Staff recognizes that the continuation of the Benchlands-North camp is not ideal for many reasons. Nevertheless, given the number of homeless individuals in the City and the need for an ultra-low barrier location where services can be provided in a central location, continuation of the Benchlands-North camp is included in the program funding list.” (~ L Imwalle)
photo of Larry Imwalle, Homeless Response Manager for the City of Santa Cruz, CA
Fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin are all classified as Schedule 1 and 2 Controlled Substances, and it is unlawful to possess them in any amount (CA H&S 113550/ 113551). All are plentiful in the City’s main drug slum, located at 137 Dakota Ave, in the San Lorenzo Park, where open drug use and overdose are not only a daily activity, but go unpunished through non-enforcement by City Police and their criminal justice partners in the county.
The San Lorenzo Slum is said to be “monitored” daily by 2 on site city employees (at a combined cost of $70.00 per hour), have daily walk-throughs by members of the Homeless Response Team, and are on the “extra-check list” for Police patrols. Despite all this supervision, drug use remains rampant, and now visible signs advertising hard drug trafficking appear on City Parks placards.
Complaints from the community (who are left to fund this drug slum):are often:
> ignored,
> at times receive back a placatory form letter (carefully drafted to avoid directly answering the complaint),
> or stamped on immediately by City Managers because, as the Communications Manager recently wrote “I don’t think we should move people from Depot Park (an auxiliary drug slum site) until mid‐January as we have been saying. It is temporary, and we have made(sic) that known. Moving them in a knee‐jerk reaction to criticism is going to embolden each neighborhood where we try to put people to think that if they complain enough, we will fold.”
J E Smith, Communications Mgr
City of Santa Cruz
The City’s Department Heads, initially meeting weekly in an effort to develop a 3 year plan for “managing” the homeless, “continue to consider all public lots as potential locations either for transitional encampments, temporary emergency camping locations, or safe parking options, taking into account a variety of factors." (L Butler).
City Parks reported on February 14th, that “We face challenges with unsheltered homelessness throughout the entire city parks system.” (T Elliot/ Parks Director), and there are immediate plans to repurpose yet another park, transforming it from a 25 acre multi use space into another drug slum for transients living in non-roadworthy, oversized vehicles. Again- the public have not been noticed, nor have they been asked for input, and emails ignored.
(Note- the City's Parks System comprises 1,729 acres of trails, parks, and open spaces. The annual Parks budget for 2021 was $15.4 million dollars... for areas made too unsafe for the general public use).
The finalized 3 year “Homeless Response Action Plan” is scheduled to be presented to the City Council at their March 8th Regular meeting. It is unclear if they are seeking action by the council (which by law would allow for public comment), or whether they are merely presenting the plan as an information (agenda) item (in which case public comment would be disallowed). Either way, look for the City to run roughshod over the community through their philosophy of “If we let 1 neighborhood stand up, then they’ll all stand up.”
It will be interesting to see this Action Plan. Will the next drug slum impact local commerce through the use of a city parking lot, or destroy another city park at the expense of the children.
~Big Joe 77