• Community Meeting: Homelessness

It was a packed house. I counted more than 55 residents that attended the community meeting about homeless issues in Wildomar. Also in the building were five members of RSO (Riverside Sheriff's Office) and 8 people that are part of the city.

Mayor Ben Benoit addresses the full house.

The meeting started with Mayor Ben Benoit welcoming the attendees then turning it over to Wildomar's Chief of Police, Captain Dan Anne for a few moments and then Deputy Robert Glaser began his presentation about local homeless issues.

I'll include the entire 2 hour meeting in two different videos. The first will be the presentation, and the second will be the questions and answers. Links at the bottom of the blog.

Instead of trying to break down the entire meeting let me sum it up in a couple of paragraphs and bullet points instead.

I thought it was a very productive meeting and a good step in getting the word out about how to deal with this problem. 

First and foremost: DO NOT GIVE FOOD OR MONEY to the homeless, you're only perpetuating the problem and usually making it worse. If you'd like to help the homeless, then please donate your time or money to a vetted charity.

If you see a crime: Report it, call it in.
In order to "have a crime" there must be a victim. If you don't call it in, then the police can't get involved. Even if it's after the fact, and the perp can't be found, you need to call it in. It helps the police track trends in offenses and can help later on to prevent repetitions in the future.

If you don't report it, it's the same as it never having happened.

If you see someone trespassing (homeless encampments) call it in. Be a "good witness" and have some details ready to share with the dispatcher.

Don't put yourself in danger. Which would include NOT taking pictures if there is a chance that you will then become the target of someone's rage. If you can take a photo of the situation, great, but don't put yourself, or your family in danger; it's just property.

Don't wait to report suspicious activity.

It was stressed over and over during the meeting: 
Do not give them money.

If you ever visit a beach town that has a pier you'll see the sign that says "Don't feed the pigeons" (please don't be a blockhead and think anyone is comparing humans to birds) but the nature of creatures (including humans) is to follow the path of least resistance. 

This issue reminds me of a famous movie quote.

If we are making it easy for homeless people to live here, they will live here and more will come once word gets out that we are a welcoming city.

Say no to panhandlers.

Interesting to learn, according to the presentation, that Starbucks (as a corporation) has taken the stance that they will allow homeless people to remain in their stores. Pretty lame move in my book. 

Donate to a non-profit instead of giving money to homeless people.

Below is a video of the first part of the meeting. Sorry Mayor Ben, my camera wasn't in record position until your part was over, but I appreciated the shout out just the same. ☺

The sound quality is meh. If it were up to me, I'd make sure that microphones were used at all meetings... but so far, I haven't been asked my thoughts on the matter. Still, you get the full meeting as it transpired... less the opening that is.

I'd already seen most of Officer Glaser's presentation before, so I was most interested in the Question & Answer portion, which actually ended up being longer than the presentation. Full 1 hour and 7 minute video is below.


Many issues were brought up, and it was easy to see how passionate many in the audience were on this matter.

• The first was from the owners of the Clinton Keith McDonald's. They've been trying to get the panhandlers away from their business since the beginning. 

"I don't want to lose business, but if I had small children, and I [were to] see some of those people outside, I wouldn't want to go in there."

It was a fascinating part of the meeting. It basically kicks off in the first 10 seconds of the video at the bottom of the blog.

• Discussion of the mysterious white van that is said to drop of homeless people. It's half urban myth and half truth on some level. (Click this link to jump to that part of the video)

• Next notable item was how one abandoned home in The Farm has been used as a flop house, and the out of state owner is ok with it. Talk about a stunning thing to have to put up with. (This topic starts at the 18:00 mark of the video)

• Regarding a recently broken up homeless encampment near Inland Valley Medical Center and Wildomar code enforcement officer Keith Ross's response, use this link to get to the 24:10 mark of the video.

• Mayor Pro-Tem Marsha Swanson spoke on the issue at the 25:15 mark. She pointed out that 41% of the total Wildomar budget goes to police services. 

• Councilmember Bridgette Moore recapped the efforts that the city is undertaking and asked the residents to do their part too. "You've heard tonight that the city is doing something [about homelessness], you've heard that SWAG is doing something. So now I think it's also [fair to ask] what is everyone else going to do. How are you going to help us, because it's a team effort." Click this link to jump to the 43:30 mark where her comments can be located.

• Councilmember Tim Walker spoke next, telling people that this started with Prop 47, and urged people to complain to Sacramento. "Call the Governor's office, let those guys know 'we're ticked off here' with prop 47." His full comments begin right after Bridgette Moore, at the 44:54 mark.

• Last on the highlight reel is SWAG (Social Work Action Group). They are a new Non-Profit that is working in our region. To date they've helped 108 homeless people off the street in our region, of which 68 have stayed off the streets.

I have an appointment with SWAG to do a comprehensive blog about them next week (Thanks Silvia for helping get that on the calendar ☺). Until then, watch their part of the video which begins at the 47:20 mark.

Wildomar Rap opinion time

I'm sure that you've heard the old saying, "It's a marathon, not a sprint."

Homelessness takes it to a new level. It's not even a marathon (something that can be accomplished in half a day), it's more like a career. 

There have always been homeless people, the big difference is the approach that society and government have taken to them.

In the past, we didn't tolerate criminal bands of trespassers that are now called "homeless people". Look at the facts, there is a huge difference between people "down on their luck" that can't make ends meet, and the criminals that would have been in jail if not for several misguided state propositions and new laws that have made this situation explode out of control.

Eventually the pendulum will swing back, but I don't see that on the near horizon.

As Deputy Glaser put it, "Elections have consequences" so know what it is you're voting for before casting that ballot.

In the meantime, DO NOT ADD TO THE MESS by handing out money to panhandlers. If you see something suspicious, report it, and be a "good witness" with descriptions of the person and the crime.

Video of the Question & Answer portion is below.

•                •                •

If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out?.
– Will Rogers

Wildomar Rap is confident that the other famous WR never encountered the type of stupidity that has been free flowing from Sacramento for the last couple of generations.

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