Homeless camps on Dockweiler Beach torn down, cleaned up after resident complaints

Homeless camps cleared at Dockweiler Beach

Crews cleared homeless camps along Dockweiler Beach in Playa del Rey, filling trucks with trash and more.

LOS ANGELES - Dozens of homeless encampments were removed from Dockweiler State Beach Thursday following recent complaints from residents.

Officials estimate between 50 and 60 people were told to stop camping in the area. Bulldozers and sanitation workers Thursday filled at least four truckloads of trash from the encampments.

"All of these folks have received engagement and offers of services on many occasions," said Los Angeles City Councilmember Traci Park. "I’m not going to accept, ‘No, we prefer to stay here’, as an answer."

A man named JoJo says he has lived at Dockweiler for the last two or three years. Now, he’s looking for a new place to live.

"They just kicked us off the beach and said we had to get out of here," said JoJo. "I’m not messing with nobody or bothering anybody. The world can see I’m having a problem here."

Homeless encampments pop up on SoCal beaches

More and more homeless people are moving to the beaches in Playa Del Rey. While the Supreme Court has said states can clear these encampments, more seem to be popping up.

JoJo said he’d like to find a building to live in, but has been unable to find the necessary help.

"Move to where?" asked JoJo. "Another spot where we can find some safety and some warmth? I mean this is a wide-open beach. I don’t see the problem."

Residents in the area voiced their concerns to FOX 11about the homeless camps in the area, citing fires, drug use, and violence.

"It’s prime real estate," said Nio Sumait, a cyclist. "I’d love to live here as well, but they need to clean it up."

"If we allow the problem to persist in this location, it will," said Park. "We need to ban overnight camping and enforce overnight camping restrictions on all of our coastline.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently issued an executive order empowering local governments to clear encampments, or risk losing state funds.

"I’m going to redirect the money, it’s not complicated," said Newsom.

Following the Governor’s new initiative, FOX 11 has reported on encampments torn down just this week in Long Beach and now Dockweiler.

"I’m calling on the county and the state to help me get this done," said Park. "We have got to get this problem solved. If we don’t change our approaches, and we don’t utilize both the resources that we’re spending billions of taxpayer dollars invested in, with our legal tools and enforcement resources, we’re never going to solve the problem."