YREKA, Calif. – Yreka police helped clean up homeless camps in the city Monday.
The homeless camps were on private property behind the Yreka Junction shopping center on the south side of town. The new owners of the property intended to clear out the camps and told the transients who lived there about their plans. However, the owners were concerned for the safety of their cleanup crews, so they called police for help.
On Monday, police responded with all on-duty personnel to help with the cleanup. They said while the transients appeared to have left the area, a “very large” amount of trash was left behind.
A parallel operation ran by CalTrans also saw crews working to clean up transient camps in the area at the same time.
Police said during the operation, a couple inside a van was contacted. They were ordered to remove their vehicle from the area. The man, Billy Jo Hensher, was arrested for an outstanding warrant and possession of methamphetamine.
“It’s unfortunate a lot of our homeless cause these problems and leave so much trash and hazardous items behind in their wake,” the Yreka Police Department said. “YPD is also actively engaged in enforcement actions against persons who litter and leave debris such as this behind.”
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