SECOND “SWEEP” ATTEMPT on December 10, 2020 (happened in two parts…the first video is of the Park Rangers attempting to move the secondary camp, four tents that were part of the encampment prior to the first “sweep”)
Approximately 11 am this is Ramona Mayon interacting with Park Ranger (same one who is holding coffee cup in photos of the 11.18.20 “sweep”):
Me: (Judge) said they couldn’t be moved without notice… (me to homeless girl who had just taken her tent down: Tell him to be quiet, regarding another homeless resident yelling about jurisdiction).
Park Ranger: It’s not my call. It’s not even our jurisdiction. I’m just trying (mumbles) to see area cleaned and nice …
Me: Judge said everyone had to have 24 hour notice.
Park Ranger: Tell that to HSOP.
Me: Who?
Park Ranger: HSOP (acronym for Healthy Streets Operation Certer, run by the “Homeless Czar” Jeff Kositsky)
Me: Right, they entered a Declaration, but (…I point to the homeless girl who had just removed her tent) that person was at the first sweep, this girl (at this point, Park Ranger rolls up his window so I begin talking to the girl…)
Me: … he just said it isn’t their jurisdiction. Yeah so I want you to move just to comply so we can show the court that they are doing it again, a second time.
Girl: …only four of us here.
Me: Four? There’s four. Okay there four here and … it was a little messy but they gave no written notice. So you should go ahead and move, Madison, because they are going to try and make friction and I want you to be able to testify, you know, not get in trouble or anything, you know what I mean.
Part two of the Dec 10, 2020 “sweep” occured at 1 pm when a single police car parked ar the curb, with all the red lights flashing. Half an hour later, a HOT team arrived.
HOT team: …be on Balboa or where the barricades end but they can’t be on the street.
Me: So they can’t be in the street and they can’t be where the barricades are so where am I supposed to go?
HOT team: Go right here on Balboa.
Me: I don’t want to go over there. My person…my caregiver is right here and I’m not safe over there, a woman alone.
HOT team: Okay.
Me: So where are we supposed to go with them (the tents) and remebering we don’t have anywhere to go and it’s a oandemic and we are supposed to be sheltering-in-place. And what are y’all offering what?
HOT team: So we got shelter space at the Moscone Center, but we aren’t enforcing anything.
Me: But the Moscone Center, the public order says you’re not supposed to have any public or private gathers.
HOT team: They’ve got an open shelter there.
Me: I have cancer (repeats). I’m not safe somewhere like that.
HOT team: You don’t have to go in, nobody’s forcing you to do anything.
Me: Well, they are making move my tent without 24-hour notice.
HOT team: That has nothing to do with me, though, that’s not what I am here for.
Mitizi: So what about the 24-hour notice?
Me: Yeah, that’s what we went to court for.
HOT team: Like I was just telling her, I don’t have anything to do with enforcement. That’s thise guys over there (points tge assemble 5 or 6 people down the block ar the curb). I’m just coming to give you guys a heads-up they are coming to bug you. I’m trying to give you some warning.
Me: Yeah.
HOT team: I don’t know anything about it and I don’t have anything to do with it, you know. We are just here. I have some hygiene kits and talk to you guys and drop off some stuff for you, try to make you a little more comfortable. Coincidentally, we got here the same time they got here so we talked to them to see what was going on and that’s what we heard and we are trying to let you guys know. I don’t know anything about the process itself that has nothing to do with us.
Me: So what about the water and other things we talked about to the court. Thet were supposed to have bathrooms and stuff out here.
HOT team: I know.
approx. 1.35 pm
Me to cops: Hi. I have the blue tent over there.
The same paramedic captain who conducted the 1st “sweep” on 11.18.20 was in conversation with a neighbor, so I waited. She was replying “The Rangers were there but I don’t know anything about it. I just heard yelling from my apartment. My window is right there. (laughs) Thank you for the information. ” (leaves)
Me: Hi. We have a judge listening. He said he didn’t want any more sweeps without notice. So where are we supposed to put our tents?
Mike Mason, SFFD Paramedic Captain badge #19 (MM): So hi, ma’am. What’s your name?
Me: Ramona Mayon
MM: Hi. We met before. My name is Mike Mason, Paramedic captain.
Me: Yeah you’re one of, you’re in the videos I’ve submitted to court.
MM: Okay, Ramona. I think we’re here today offering services. We are offering shelter beds, if anyone would like a shelter bed.
Me: That would be … where would that be at?
MM: um the Moscone Center.
MM: We’re asking folks to comply with safe sleeping guidelines, put out by Public Health and other agencies.
Me: Right.
MM: I’m requesting that there be no outdoor cooking today, or in general, open flames outdoors, fire dept ordinance. Um we have a HOT team doing outreach, giving out hygiene kits. We are also requesting that there be no tents in the street.
Me: Okay. So where do we put them?
MM: Excuse me?
Me: Where do the tents go, then?
MM: I can’t tell you where to put tents but I can ask that you don’t have tents in the street.
Me: So when I put my tent on the sidewalk, what happens?
MM: Ramona, are you in a tent or an RV?
Me: I’m in a car, with a tent. I have mobility issues and so for safety I sleep in the car but in the day, I have to be, I can’t sit in the car all day so I have to … and I have cancer so I’m not really interested in going down to the Moscone Center. That seems … you know …
Me: So I put my tent out of the street, so y’all are just moving us a little bit, you aren’t actually evacuating anyone, you are just getting them out of the street.
MM: Well, correct. I’m asking that the tents not be in the street today.
Me: Okay. Alright. No problem. That’s it?
MM: Well, so the HOT team is here today; so I also have the SFPD and Park Rangers and they’ll be requesting that you comply with their …
Me: Right. I’m going to move it out the street. (repeats)
MM: And Ramona…
Me: I will be taking this back to court because I have this one incident where they made people move (in the morning) and you aren’t giving notice so —
MM: I have the Park Ranger here today and they have their own set of ordinances.
Me: Oh I understand all the jurisdictional things, that’s why we are taking it to court … I have to go to work now. What is it you want to say, sir?
MM: Well, I want to say that Park and Rec has their own set if ordinances. One of their ordinances, my understanding, is that there is no camoing in San Francisco parks.
Me: Right. So the park starts right here, where the sand is, right? So what is the jurisdiction? Everyone says something, something. We’re going to find out in court as we go through the case but this is no notice making us move our tents and the judge specifically said he’d do a 180, well, you know, you can’t say what judges will do, but there is a judge listening, you aren’t giving written notice again.
Me (walking over to cops): Well, I should be telling you, ordinance 169.
Cop #1: For standing here?
Me: No, for our tents, for clearing an encampment.
Cop #1: We’re not doing any of that.
Me: So what are we here for? (repeats)
Cop #1: Doing outreach.
Me: Here for outreach? I mean, you’re here for outreach. You’re not here to enforce anything or do anything?
Cop #1: Well, I mean…
Me: Because we saw a judge on Wednesday and he gave us an ex parte hearing and he said if he got another case…he didn’t want..
Cop #1: Did he say we can’t stand here?
Me: No. He said you can’t move us, you have to give written notice if we have to move the tents.
Cop #1: I never heard of that.
Me: You haven’t heard of ordinance 169?
Cop #1: Maybe. I don’t know. I haven’t. Honest I just came back. My 1st day back i awhile. So I could brush up on it.
Me: So this is 2016. It was passed in 2016.
Cop #1: Maybe I need to brush up on it. But my concern is they are in the street.
Me: They just swept us and told us to leave.
Cop #1: You can talk, go ahead.
Me: I was answering.
Cop #1: Its just a public safety thing. I dont want to cite you for camping or any of that, but my concern is you are in the street. A car may come veer into you and people may get hurt thats the main cincern to me. I don’t wanna write tickets or enforce anything of what you’re talking about. Because it’s a safety issue. No one wants to see anyone get hit.
Cop #2 People in vehicles, you’re protected by a steel structure. People in tents, its just a nylon curtain.
Me: So when we move it back to the sidewalk where we had it to begin with, then what happens?
Cop #2: The sidewalk is going to be designated by the Park Dept. and whatever their guidelines are that you arent supposed to camp or have tents on the street, that’s going to be on them. It looks like you have a court order there, that might all be in there regarding that…
Me: It’s just the beginning of a laesuit, all the jurisdictional things and so forth.
Cop #2: So it’s possible you are not going to be allowed on this street because it is a Park’s issue, so it’s a violation but the streey, tgats a hazard, I think even you can acknowledge that’s a hazard.
Me: We were safely on the … before the sweep of 18th of November. We were safely on the sidewalk.
Cop #2: I do believe those men are offering shelter.
Me: At Moscone Center.
Me to HOT team: So the shelter you are offering and the services — could I ask you, sir, who is your actual employer, you’re not the HOT team, are you?
HOT team: Yes, I am.
Me: Okay, so your employer is Dept of Public Health but another lady told us you had —- La Luna?
HOT team: La Luna Health. I work for a non-profit. It’s a misconception but we don’t work for the City.
Me: Okay. So that’s who I’m going to be asking why are there no services? Why is there no water, why is this Jeff whatever his name is, the “homeless czar” the judge called him, he said there were 15 people, 10 tents and 8 vehicles and that’s more than enough for people to be getting services.
MM: What services would you like?
Me: Shower. I walked to the bathroom (trailer) down there that’s supposed to have a shower and every day I’ve gone down there, it’s been locked all three stalls.
MM: Well, Ramona, can I ask you a favor? I need to be doing some operations here with my team, I can either ask you to step to the side —
Me: No, I’ve got everything. I’ve taped it. We’ll take it to court and let the judge see it. Once again you are tellingvus to move with no notice and telling us to go to a place that your public order says no gatheringd so completely insufficient what you’re offering … immoral … for the amount of money and no help.
MM: I’m going over here.
(over the sound of the generator that charges all the phones and power packs for the encampment, Mitizi and Randy buy the gas/ no one helps them do this or asks them to but it really makes a difference in our lives)
MM to C (sick man who’s tent Mitizi and I fought for 11.18.20): How you doing? How you feeling? Doing okay?
C: Still short of breath?
MM: Do you have an oxygen tank out here?
C: Yeah.
Mitizi to Park Ranger: I want to see that paperwork. Can you bring it by so I can see that paperwork? Interesting.
Park Ranger: (mumbles) ask my supervisor…
Mitizi: Where’s the paperwork that shows that?
Park Ranger: Well, I don’t have the paperwork with me.
Me: Well, we need it.
Mitizi: You need to have paperwork when you come out and something like that.
Park Ranger: That’s like saying you can’t enforce the rules if you don’t have the rule book with you (mumbles)
Mitizi: This isn’t Park and Rec (points to street). But when did this become Park and Rec?
Park Ranger: I don’t know the year or date, but it’s Park and Rec Property and thats what I’m told.
Me: Mmm.
Park Ranger: Well, thats what I was told.
Me: That’s what I’m going to be taking to court to find out.
Mitizi: I don’t have a tent so…
Park Ranger: They can figure it out at court.
Me: She doesn’t have a tent.
Park Ranger: I was actually trying to talk to somebody with a tent.
Park Ranger to C: You got a hair cut.
C: Oh yeah.
Park Ranger: So they already advised ypu and all that stuff in the morning about tents, Rec and Park.
C: Nobody advised us.
Park Ranger: What they told me, they told me to come out here and let you know its Park and Rec property, from what I asked, jurisdiction-wise, because I don’t want to enforce anything that’s not my jurisdiction.
C: Sure.
Park Ranger: They told me from there (points to sand) to the curbside is Rec and Park. So they just wanted me to …
C: Curbside? You pointed that way.
Park Ranger: Yes. See the bumpers on that … they said from that to there is Park and Rec.
C: Really? Even the parking lot.
Park Ranger: Yeah, that’s why I had to call and ask. Usually I tell you guys okay as long as you are off the fenceline, but that’s what they are telling me. So I am just passing the message.
C: Yeah, yeah.
Park Ranger: So you can’t have tents on Rec and Park property. I’m letting you know.
C: You understand we are still in Shelter-in-Place?
Park Ranger: No, no…
Mitizi: I don’t understand. The officer that came out and told us to Shelter-in-Place, because of COVID, this pandemic, the way its rising. Why? Why are you making people move?
Park Ranger: Like I said, SFPD has their thing, Rec and Park also have their own as well. If you want, you can also ask questions of Rec and Park. I’m not their spokesman, so I don’t know.
Me: We need some kind if paper that shows the jurisdiction because we don’t believe you.
Park Ranger: So you are going to court…
Mitizi: How can someone trust what you are saying after all the stuff that’s been going on, how can we trust what you are saying now, oh this is the park, but all these bbn years before, it’s been San Francisco PD.
Me: …and it says PD (indicating barricades with signage).
Park Ranger: PD can go in the park too. Here’s my thing (mumbles) This is what my bosses told me to do, you know what I mean.
C: That’s Commander in chief, if he told me to take my gun and blow my head off, guess I gotta do that.
Park Ranger: Well, I wouldn’t do that.
C: That’s Commander in chief.
Park Ranger: Well, that’s great if she takes it to court, you guys can find out…
Me: Not if. It is IN court.
Park Ranger: Awesome. Because honestly, it’ll be better. That way it’s all sorted out.
Me: Okay but in the meantime (repeats) ordinance section 169?
C: Okay thanks for being nice, you didn’t have to.
C: Up there, down there, back there, to over there.
Park Ranger: I mean I guess its good that she’s going to court to see jurisdiction, but like I say, my Supervisors say its all the way to the curb over there.
Me: Regardless, it requires notice on the tents.
C: Are you federal?
Park Ranger: No, City and County.
Me: It still covers I don’t understand why you think that the ordinance the City ordinance doesn’t cover the notice or the pandemic Shelter in Place. Prop K in 2016 passed and its police ordinance 169, that requires 24-hour’s notice to move people.
Me to Park Ranger: You are part of the City. Okay, that’s not (points to sand), that’s part of City (motions to sidewalk). We’ll find out.
Park Ranger: That’s what I said, it’s a good thing you are doing this.
Mitizi: All the signs say San Francisco PD.
Me to Mitizi: It’s like talking to, I don’t know what it’s like talking to. I don’t even knoe what they are here doing. They say don’t ne in the street, what?
C to MM: I just take it easy. I don’t exert myself for nothing.
Me: Until y’all come and sweep him. Until y’all make him move everything.
Me to C: So what did he say?
C: Oh this is just a heads-up of things to come, the normal banter bullshit.
Mitizi: They’re not telling nobody to move?
C: No.
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