City trucks rolled into the levee-lined outskirts of Trinity Parkway in Stockton Tuesday morning, marking the end of what many unhoused residents called a community, and what city officials labeled “a threat to public safety.”
The encampment sits on property overseen by the California Land Commission, according to Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi. But the city of Stockton has long asserted enforcement authority over the site under public safety codes related to critical infrastructure and wildfire risk, according to the eviction notice. While the property itself is not city-owned, municipal officials have led cleanup operations there, citing ongoing concerns from nearby neighborhoods and businesses.
The city conducted a full-scale encampment removal operation, displacing dozens of people and dismantling an almost a decade years-old community near McAuliffe Road, Bear Creek Levee, and the Pixley and White Sloughs. The operation, which began at 7 a.m., was announced just days prior with a formal notice.
For residents like Lucy Waterban, 55, the cleanup has been devastating.
“I’m really completely happy here. And I got my rooster, and he’s happy,” she said on the eve of the sweep. “Now they’re telling me they got to separate me and my rooster. That really hurts.”
Waterban, like many others, said she was not offered meaningful alternatives. According to unhoused residents, Councilmember Michele Padilla offered a weeklong motel voucher to some residents, but most turned it down.
“They keep telling us a bunch of stuff, and they’re not providing anything,” Waterban said. “Ain’t no beds. And they won’t let us keep our animals.”
Tony Mannor, city spokesperson, said Padilla requested approval to use her council discretionary funds to pay for the motel vouchers. Mannor was not able to confirm if the request was ever approved.
Councilmember Padilla did not respond to requests for comment at the moment of publication.
A family, not just a camp
The Trinity Parkway encampment had evolved over the years into what residents describe as “a mutual support system: families formed out of necessity.” People shared food, helped care for pets, and patched up each other’s tents and shelters. Teresa Garcia, 52, had been there for four years.
“I’m mama to them,” Garcia said. “I have my own little house right here. Windows, a door, a yard. Why should I leave?”
Others echoed that same sense of loss.
“This is a bond that is really untouchable,” said Tia Nava, 38. “We’re not homeless. We’re houseless. Because home is where your heart is. And my heart is here.”
But the city had made up its mind.
Padilla, who represents the surrounding area, said the cleanup is part of a promise she made to Spanos Park families before taking office.
“It’s not about politics, it’s about public safety, respect for our residents and upholding and enforcing our law,” Padilla said during a May council meeting, referencing state guidance that she said empowers cities to act. In an email to Stocktonia, she added, “This effort is not only effective, but also handled with care and consideration.”
Yet the tone on the ground told a different story.
“They came down here with assault rifles like we were dangerous,” said J.G, 22, who has lived at the site since January and declined to give his name for safety reasons.
“We’re just regular people. Flesh and blood. Same as you.”
A Promise Unfulfilled
The city’s sudden pivot to enforcement marks a sharp departure from what could have been a more comprehensive, service-oriented solution. In April, Stockton’s City Council narrowly rejected a proposed $1 million CARE (Compassion, Access, Reunification, Empowerment) Homelessness Pilot Program. The plan would have contracted the nonprofit Inner City Action to conduct outreach, clean the Trinity site, and relocate residents to a transitional shelter with services and space for pets.
The proposal failed in a 4–3 vote, with critics questioning the lack of competitive bidding and the nonprofit’s fiscal transparency and past fallouts with Manteca and Lodi. Council sent the idea back for a formal request for proposals, known as an RFP, but that RFP was never issued.
In the absence of a replacement plan, no transitional site was ever established. Then came the eviction notice, with advocates saying the city’s actions betray its own earlier commitments.
“There are over 5,000 unhoused people in Stockton, why are you attacking the biggest encampment without any real alternatives?” said Jessica Velez, executive director of Red Rabbit Advocacy Group, a non profit that supports those experiencing homelessness and housing instability.
According to Velez, between 25 and 30 people were displaced during Tuesday’s sweep.
Law enforcement’s role
The operation was led by the Stockton Police Department with support from multiple agencies, including the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, SJ Cares, Behavioral Health Services, and the California Highway Patrol.
Officer David Scott, spokesperson of the police department, said the land, owned by the State Lands Commission, was posted for abatement in coordination with the city after months of community complaints and outreach efforts.
The State Lands Commission did not respond to requests for comment by publication time.
“This operation was a result of numerous citizen complaints related to drug use, gunfire, thefts, illegal dumping and trespassing,” Scott told Stocktonia. “Strategic community officers have been working with outreach partners for weeks.”
The department planned to monitor the site in the days following the cleanup to prevent re-encampment and allow the city’s Public Works to operate without obstruction. The department planned to monitor the site in the days following the cleanup to prevent re-encampment and allow the city’s Public Works to operate without obstruction as per Stockton municipal code, Scott said.
Eviction notices were posted on 38 tents and 29 individuals were contacted personally to let them know about the cleanup, according to SPD. Scott emphasized that outreach efforts also included animal care services, behavioral health referrals, and free vaccinations for pets.
“Some people have denied them, some have accepted,” he said. “We’re not going to take any offense… we just want to always have that available.”
When asked for the exact number of law enforcement officers assigned to this operation, Scott said he couldn’t provide an estimate due to “several agencies working simultaneously”.
ADA complaints, few answers
Velez, whose group provides outreach and support to unhoused residents, submitted a formal American with Disabilities Act (ADA) complaint to the city June 27, citing residents with physical and mental disabilities. According to Velez, the complaint was received by Deputy City Manager Will Crew, but she said the only response was a referral to SJ Cares and local animal shelters.
“They are not doing anything,” Velez said, referring to an “inadequate response to a formal complaint.”
Velez took her concerns public during the July 21 council meeting, speaking directly to Mayor Christina Fugazi during public comment.
“You told me that it was not the city’s responsibility to respond to that and that I needed to deal with SJ Cares probation,” Velez said during public comment. “That was filed with the city clerk. So that very much is the city’s responsibility.”
She ended her remarks with a chilling warning: “There’s a man who said he was going to kill himself on Friday because of this displacement. If that happens, I want you to think about what you’re doing.”
Homeless advocate Pat Barrett said on Tuesday legal action is being considered, alleging the city failed to comply with federal ADA requirements during the encampment removal.
Advocates question motives
Barrett, who was present during the cleanup, called the operation traumatizing and “politically motivated,” alleging it was timed and carried out in part to bolster Councilmember Padilla’s upcoming reelection campaign by “appealing to concerns from nearby housed residents.”
“This is not how you treat people,” Barrett said. “You work with them. These people, look at the junk. This is a sign of grief.”
Barrett accused city leaders of “prioritizing politics over people” and “failing to invest in alternatives” like safe camping zones or housing transitions.
“They spent thousands today that could’ve gone to hotel rooms, not just the ones offered yesterday,” Barrett said.
Unclear price tag
When asked about the cost of the operation, Mannor said no estimate was available, citing the “need to assess environmental damage, the volume of debris and other logistical factors.” He said the final cost would be shared between the State Lands Commission and San Joaquin County.
As for pets, Mannor said the city’s goal was to keep them with their owners “when possible” or otherwise arrange for animal shelters. But for residents like Waterban, who see their animals as family, that was no comfort.
“You know darn well they’re going to put the animal in a shelter,” she said. “And then what?”
Waterban’s rooster was taken in by Barrett, who said she will temporarily care for the animal along with several other pets from the encampment.
Limited shelter options
Stockton’s cleanup notice included a long list of shelters and services, but many have strict limits on capacity, require sobriety or program participation, do not allow pets, etc. Some encampment residents said they’d been offered placement, but most said they had nowhere else to go.
Garcia was one of the few with a backup plan: a friend’s couch. “But that’s not my choice,” she said. “I’ve worked to make this mine.”
The printed list of resources handed out at the county services tent on-site of the cleanup presented problems with getting immediate help for people.
When Stocktonia called the numbers listed: the New Hope Center’s line was disconnected, the Gospel Center said residents needed to appear in person, and Haven of Peace said no beds were available at the moment. The women’s shelter advised calling back later in the afternoon to check for availability.
Later in the morning, other nonprofits such as the Drug Society arrived and set up along the opposite side of the sidewalk, offering support to unhoused residents and helping them move their belongings.
“We just want to be treated like people,” said Garcia, watching neighbors pack up what remained. “Not swept away like trash.”
