An edhat reader sent in a report of a homeless woman publicly urinating on a tree in the 500 block of State Street around 10:30 a.m. Sunday. What is the best way to curb this and who is the best resource to call when this happens?
Public Urination on State Street
mystifi
February 26, 2019, 8:01 am
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Written by mystifi
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ive been here since 1981. it’s always been like this here. worse when we had a stop light on the 101.
ventura is the same and so is the nard
The problem is hard to address because probably every homeless person needs help in a different way. Providing housing seems like a good 1st step for most of them but as you pointed out, wouldn’t have helped your friend unless it was in Ventura. And housing is hard to do in SB.
My poor hometown. Yes, we’ve had homeless here for decades. They used to be “characters,” each with some eccentricity that was, believe it or not, somewhat endearing and allowing for sympathy. Now we have all sorts of down and dirty types, young and old, begging w/ signs at the intersections of major roadways, begging at onramps to hwy and at entrances to major markets. I, too, resent the fact that Santa Barbara law enforcement seems to turn a blind eye to camping on the beach and huddled bundles of filth, alcoholics and druggies, sleeping in doorways and on bus benches (like we’re in New York City or San Francisco). What’s the solution? Shut down the soup kitchens? Arrest the vagrants? I wish I could solve this problem. I hate seeing what is happening to our lovely city.
I was in court years ago, and a succession of college-age males and a female were brought up one by one in front of the judge, each with the charge of illegally disposing of toxic waste. The judge stopped the proceedings and said, “Is this urinating in public?” To which the perp standing in front of him said “Yes.”
Zerohawk, YOU have no idea what you are talking about…the pick pocket ‘bumped’ into me, I thought nothing of it at the time. The item in question was attached to a deep pocket with a clip; it didn’t just ‘fall out’. And since you have no idea where I parked or how far I walked to get to City Hall, your comment that you walk’this spot’ is meaningless. And yes, I’ve had dogs, and there is most definitely a difference.
With so many of our good citizens complaining that public restrooms are taken over by homeless individuals using the facilities the City has responded to the complaints and shut down these public WCs. Where do the homeless relieve themselves now? You got what you asked for.
Uh, so what is it?
Remember our last mayor’s race? Frank Hotchkiss who actually cleanned out a lot of the vagrant and RV blight – got them to stop parking all along Cabrillo Blvd. He was a no nonsense candidate with 8 years of city council experience. Voters had a choice to get serious about these problems, but instead voters chose the city employee union favored candidate instead. And now the vagrancy mess under Mayor Murillo has gotten even worse. Plus we are no closer solving city budget deficits besides adding more and more new taxes, which only get used to mask the growing city employee pensions mess. Our roads are in terrible shape all over this city, especially after the rains yet we have a city council that wants to divert millions every year just to coddle more vagrants. Voter will is the missing ingredient. Next time when given the choice, stop voting for the soft-hearted union-backed candidates who have their own agenda, and put in some business-oriented, hard nosed candidates and get things turned around. Just do it.
Sorry folks but I don’t think it is as big of a problem as so many of you perceive it to be. I am in the State Street area several times a week from the 1200 block to the 500 block and it simply isn’t that bad! Count your blessings that you live in paradise!
I had to go downtown to City Hall last year to renew my business license in person. When I got home, I discovered I had been the victim of a pick pocket (nothing valuable, but still distressing) AND I had stepped in human feces. Fortunately discovered that while still in the garage near the laundry sink. Disgusting AND distressing. I used to work just off State and enjoyed walking and shopping before and after work and on my lunch break. I will not go down there now for ANY reason!
there are 2 options: you do what SF did and hire the poop patrol at 200k a year each. Or you can actually vote in someone competent to manage the city like it should be. Past that, we get what we asked for. I dont ever go down to that dump anymore.
This is why I stopped hosting my business retreats at the Hotel Santa Barbara several times each year. It seems like the City does clean this area up right before the SB Film Festival each year, and perhaps at other times. I would love to be a part of the solution to this problem in a way that would serve everyone involved. Ideas?
Good grief, the facts are all wrong here. There was a self-governing hobo village during the Great Depression on land that is now the Child’s Estate Zoo – nothing to do with Julia Childs, and absolutely nothing at all to do with the out of control vagrancy camps and those sucking off the current social safety net. Those were working adults who lived in that former “hobo village”. Another time, another ethic, but self-sufficiency and playing by rules were very much a part of that old Child’s estate hobo story.
Disgusting! Come shop in Carpinteria. Clean, fun shops, and good restaurants.
It is highly illogical in this town. The one next to the Fiesta 5 cost 600K a decade ago and is now totally ruined by homeless. They can’t even allow doors on it to prevent illegal activity inside. Building that today would cost $4M, be LEED certified and be completely ruined for taxpayers within the month.
Effectively aren’t they exposing themselves in public? That is a pretty severe crime and can result in you having to register as a sex offender. If they have access to bathrooms, then there’s no reason not to prosecute them for this. If they don’t have access to bathrooms, then it is our fault. I still don’t understand why we have 900 homeless people in town when our share of homeless based on our population relative to the nation is about 100. The state or feds should be giving us money for the other 800 because we are solving their problem.
@PITMIX- Really…? You wonder WHY we have so many homeless? The enabling of the City of Santa Barbara and those that live here may be the reason. The “Homeless Foot Washing” is known across the country, the free meals and complacency of the community comes to mind. Tents on the beach? No problem? Panhandling on off ramps? No worries. Churches doing outreach , feeding, etc.? Dawg Bless. Hanging out and loitering in front of business? We just ask that you don’t cr@p in front of our business- yelling, camping out, harassing tourists and shoppers? OK. City Police don’t have any authority or backing. They can’t book them into jail for warrants, it costs money to drive them and book them in the County jail. Cops can’t take a hard line, the City Attorney and Police Chief have a white glove policy on homeless… THEY know it. Live with it- Consider it “Street Diversity”… embrace it.
lol pick pockets? how about, you just lost it. human feces? did you send it to a lab for testing? I live several blocks from this spot and am down there with my daughters frequently. Sorry, but you just stepped in dog crap and lost your possessions. Maybe pay better attention and don’t blame unforseen forces…lol…seriously.
I avoid downtown. Unfortunately for my neighborhood, the vagrant population is moving north.
At least go over to Anacapa to pee…
$350M in pension debt. 75% of that for Police and fire retirees. You’ve been fleeced. Half the city payroll is retired. Think it’s bad yet? Prepare yourself for fewer services and more poop.
Seven years ago I lost my lease in the 300 block and moved my business to the 2000 block of State. At the time I was so sad to leave a location I’d been in for 18 years, but now I am grateful I got out of what has become a cesspool. When my out of town clients try to do tourism they always mention the state of downtown, with dismay.
Hotchkiss was the peabrain who said that single-use plastic bags aren’t harmful to ocean wildlife. I was at the City Council meeting where he said re: marine mammals and plastic bags, no worries: “They just poop them out,” said Frank. “ba-dum-bum-CHING”