Residents were upset over the trash and possible health hazard from the make-shift dwellings, so they turned to KMIR 6 for help.

 

 

Since the story first aired representatives from Cathedral City, the Police Department, and Supervisor John Benoit's office met to put a plan in place to deal with the homeless camps.

 

 

The KMIR 6 viewer who called us to investigate the story is helping form a task force. He says the most important thing is making sure all the city agencies work together. It's a group effort dealing with trash and debris left behind once the homeless camps are broken down, but they also need to offer services and a safe place for the homeless people to go.

 

 

"The project is not to destroy these homeless," said KMIR 6 viewer and Cathedral City resident Bill Raebe. "It's to properly identify and stop the big dwellings and maybe even help them move towards a better lifestyle if that's at all possible."

 

 

Residents at the homeless camp at Perez Road and Date Palm Drive were given 2 weeks notice to vacate the property. Now the cleanup is underway. Crews are removing trash and debris and also leveling the ground. 

 

 

The clean up is ultimately a city issue. A representative from Supervisor John Benoit's office said they will support and assist where ever they can. Cathedral City resident spearheading the new task force, Bill Raebe, says he plans on bringing the issue to the city council in January. 

 

 

We will continue to follow this developing story and bring you the very latest. 

 

 

--Adrianna Weingold

aweingold@kmir6.com