Homeless Camps - Criminal Havens

(Corona, California) According to this report, a large local homeless population results in a high local crime rate. As a result, if the homeless are scooted out, the crime rate drops. Imagine that.

Corona city officials have finished clearing a number of elaborate homeless camps and now patrol regularly to ensure they remain empty, said Corona officials and staff.

Corona Police Chief Richard Gonzales said the cleanups, which happened between August and December, had been primarily a crime-fighting measure.

"If the illegal camps are removed, then there's no safe haven for people who are committing thefts and burglaries," Gonzales said.

He said a 27 percent drop in the city's commercial burglary rate last year is related to the demolition of these "havens."

Police made nine felony arrests, 62 misdemeanor arrests and recovered 59 shopping carts through contact with the camps' residents, police spokesman Jesse Jurado said.

The city paid more than $100K just to remove over 140 tons of garbage accumulated in the camps. It's not known where the vagrants went after their camps were demolished. Chief Gonzales guessed many just moved on to another town since there has been no influx into local shelters.

Evidently, when the homeless lifestyle in a location is made less comfortable, the transients leave to find a more accommodating location. Imagine that.