Multi-Agency Task Force Surveys Hillsides for Fire Threats, Encampments

By MAGNOLIA LAFLEUR | Reporter

The Pacific Palisades Task Force on Homelessness—joined by different enforcement agencies—met at Will Rogers State Beach on Wednesday, May 18, to look for hillside encampments and individuals experiencing homelessness.

Among the agencies that joined PPTFH were Los Angeles Police Department, The People Concern, and LA and California State Park Rangers.

“This is our second hillside task force, last year was our first one,” Captain Jonathan Tom—commanding officer of LAPD’s West LA division—said at the event. “This is really about collaborating. The reality is we all put this together, all of us are really limited in our resources, so it’s ideal for us to come together, and to recommit that we are here to help and [are] here for each other.”

The PPTFH volunteer team was led by Co-President Sharon Kilbride, Bruce Schwartz, Lou Kamer, Cindi Young and Carmen Kallberg, alongside the outreach team from The People Concern that included Glanda Sherman, Jessi Cortez and Supervisor Jason Flores.

“Since 2016, we’ve been removing camps from hillsides and getting people housed,” Kilbride said. “There’s been over 160 camps. We did all the work, and now we’re just maintaining the hillside to make sure that nobody [is] living there … we have our task force with my volunteers, who are out daily engaging and looking for new encampments.

“Hopefully we won’t find anything today. Our partnership with LAPD is a fabulous thing and that’s why we’ve been so successful.”

Volunteers were dispersed into groups that canvased the Corona Del Mar and Via de las Olas bluffs, Temescal Gateway Park to the El Medio Trail, Marquez Canyon, Palisades Drive into The Highlands, Los Liones Trail, and Castellammare—all areas where encampments have previously been found.

The teams canvased hillsides, looking for encampments, homeless individuals and potential fire threats.

LA Deputy City Attorney Veronica de la Cruz was also on hand to assist the task force.

“I think it’s important to highlight the partnerships between the community and law enforcement,” de la Cruz shared with the Palisadian-Post. “This is an area they’ve had a long-standing relationship [with] due to the safety reasons. It’s important to enforce our hillsides and our fire safety zones. It’s nice to see people rallying around the cause of public safety and especially at a time when we are heading into fire season.”

Graffiti and debris were found behind the Pacific Coast Highway wall, indicative of recent activity. PPTFH cleared and removed items like shovels and trash.

Formed in October 2014, PPTFH has been leading the Palisades in addressing homelessness issues. Captain Tom praised PPTFH for its due diligence and accomplishments in furthering the safety of the community and the unhoused population.

This year, six abandoned camps were cleaned up, and no active camps were found.

“This is a good collaboration of all agencies to ensure the fire safety of our hillsides and the safety of our homeless population because they are also subjected to danger because of fire and because of rattlesnakes and wild animals,” Kilbride said to the Post. “We need more people to volunteer on the Volunteer Response Team that I lead, as we need more sets of eyes on the ground and the community. If they are hiking on trails and they see a camp, they need to let us know … if they see an actual camp, they need to call 911 and report it.

“The entire Palisades is surrounded by hillsides, so everyone needs to have that in the back of their head, that it’s not safe to live in the hillside. If you see something, say something.”