Renton, WA offering outreach ahead of camp cleanup on Cedar River Trail
Outreach at Renton encampments ahead of possible sweeps
The city of Renton is out at local trails and parks, cleaning up trees, increasing patrols and doing outreach at encampments ahead of potential sweeps.
RENTON, Wash. - The city of Renton is being proactive in making sure its outdoor areas are safer ahead of the return of more spring and summer-like weather.
As part of the effort, officers and outreach workers are visiting encampments ahead of potential sweeps and cleanup efforts that are scheduled in the coming weeks.
At the Cedar River Natural area, officers have been getting the word out that change is coming, while offering life-saving connections for those living there.
"So this is a fairly large area," said Sgt. Denis Moynihan, Renton Police Directed Enforcement Team, showing FOX 13 crews an area targeted for cleanup. "We did a drone mapping project earlier in the fall and I think we identified 27 camps at that point."
Moynihan is pictured below.
Just off the Cedar River trail in Renton, dozens of camps sit hidden in the woods. Some have been standing for years.
"Not sure where they got a door from," said Moynihan, lifting a wooden door attached to a structure that had been constructed off a footpath in the woods. It was vacant when he stopped by on Wednesday.
The team of Renton officers, often alongside the group of outreach workers, have been biking or hiking several miles on the trails in the natural area daily in order to offer outreach and life-saving programs to those living on that trail.
"It should be fairly dry right now luckily," said Moynihan, navigating a dirt path.
With field gear in hand, Clorissa Lewis-Newell says she and her team have a goal; to swoop, scoop and stabilize.
"We are out here planting seeds. We are letting people know we are here, and the services are available and when they are ready we are here to support them," said Clorissa, pictured below with a dog at one of the encampments.
"If you want to be done with all this, we have a lot of resources for you," said Aron, one of the Recovery Navigator Program workers to a man living on the trail.
Aron is pictured below talking to a different couple about treatment options and handing out his card.
On Wednesday, officers spearheaded the outreach.
"We just come out here and try to humanize people. We see the conditions they are living in and it’s not a humane environment," said Moynihan.
While the campers received services, they also received warnings that those living there may only have about two weeks to accept services, or find another place to camp.
If they don't leave by the time the cleanup is scheduled, officers say they could face jail time.
"The people that we are contacting seem to know there is a change going on within the city right now," said Moynihan. "So, they are starting to be more open to accepting resources."
The team hopes the outreach will offer life-changing connections, in some cases, before it's too late.
"I’ve seen too many of my friends fall and I NARCAN'ed a lot of people," said a man on the trail while having a conversation with Clorissa.
"Every time you use, you are playing Russian roulette," she responded, handing him her card. "My name's Clorissa. I hope you call."
This outreach and encampment cleanup is part of a city-wide safety initiative that will be happening all summer. It will also include law enforcement patrols, with at least two officers on the trail, seven days a week. Eventually, police spokesperson Meeghan Black said the city also hopes to one day add more trails within the park, to allow for more recreational use.
Black says the city is also targeting programs that align with Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, or (CPTED) ideology. That ideology includes a focus on preventing crime by designing your physical environment to positively influence human behavior. Black says that will include cleaning up trees and other vegetation to reduce crime of opportunity.
The Source: Information in this story is from the Renton Police Department and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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