Sheriff's Dept. conducts cleanup of homeless encampment

Photos courtesy of Riverside County Sheriff's Department

Riverside County Sheriff's Department and City of Perris code enforcement personnel conducted a cleanup of a homeless encampment near Goetz Road and Ethanac Road on Thursday, authorities said.

The cleanup took place in a field just outside the Menifee city limits. It had been planned for several months and was completed at the expense of the landowner," the Sheriff's Department reported on its Perris Station Facebook page. The enforcement involved the Sheriff's Department Perris Problem Oriented Policing (POP) Team, Social Work Action Group (SWAG), Perris Code Enforcement, Perris Animal Control, and a representative of the land owner.

During the last few months, members of the POP team offered numerous social services, including housing to eligible persons at the encampment.

"The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is committed to a joint effort in solving the issues surrounding homelessness," the Sheriff's Department stated. "As a practice, we encourage our citizens to partner with proven and reliable organizations to give back to our communities. This can be done through the donation of time, effort, and resources. Using these methods, help us in the fight against homelessness with solutions rather than a quick fix."