City employees, Berkeley police clear homeless encampment
Workers employed by the city of Berkeley were seen clearing out a homeless encampment near the intersection of Dana Street and Channing Way around 8:30 a.m. Monday morning.
According to passersby, both city staff and officers with the Berkeley Police Department were present on the scene, as well as a number of civilians who had either previously inhabited the space or had paused to witness the ongoings. A garbage truck was parked next to the site, and city employees were seen discarding personal belongings including clothes, blankets and tents.
Four BPD officers were mentioned as being in attendance, but were noted as having been uninvolved in the actual clearing of the encampment.
“The officers were there solely to provide security for City staff,” said BPD spokesperson Byron White.
The city did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
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Samantha Lim is the city news editor. Contact her at slim@dailycal.org, and follow her on Twitter at @sssamanthalim.