When the Redding Police Department Code Enforcement Team began its project to address illegal transient encampments in January 2015, one of the first locations targeted for clean-up was Linden Canyon. The large area of open land – mostly privately owned – had been plagued by years of illegal transient camping, and the area had numerous active illegal camps. The adjacent Indian Hills neighborhood joined with the Redding Police Department Code Enforcement Team, the RPD Community Clean-Up Program, and City of Redding Solid Waste to successfully remove all of the illegal camps.
The RPD Code Enforcement Team occasionally patrolled the canyon in the past year, and found it remained largely free of new illegal camps. During the past 2-3 months, the team – and neighbors – found an increase in new illegal camps. Indian Hills neighbors joined with Shasta Support Services to organize a new clean-up of the canyon. The RPD Code Enforcement Team went into the canyon several times over the past several weeks, posting illegal camps, citing any illegal campers found there, and giving people notice of the upcoming clean-up.
The clean-up occurred this past Saturday, February 27. Two RPD officers first conducted a final sweep of the canyon, to ensure any illegal campers left immediately. Three illegal campers were still present, but they immediately left the canyon. Forty-one volunteers then spend the day removing the debris left behind by the illegal camping. Most of the volunteers were from Shasta Support Services, and about ten of the volunteers came from the Indian Hills neighborhood.
They collected 5,055 pounds of trash, including a five gallon bucket full of hypodermic syringes, and 18 butane cans.