Drug-Infested Camps to Be Cleared Thursday

A series of illegal campsites, known to be full of drugs and other criminal behavior, will be disposed of Thursday morning and early afternoon, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office announced.

The Felton camps, along the Mt. Hermon Road and Gram Hill Road corridor, were identified by community members and are hotbeds of "ongoing criminal activity in the area," Sergeant John Habermehl said in a press release.

From 8 a.m. until 1 p.m., the camps, which are located under county bridges and touch private property, will be cleaned up with assistance of minimum security community corrections inames under the supervision of sheriff's deputies. 

Over the past few weeks, the sheriff's office has posted signs at each camp asking people to vacate.

"The goal of the Sheriff’s Office will be to remove the refuse and eliminate criminal activities caused by these campsites," Habermehl said. "Roaring Camp has graciously donated the use of their dumpsters for disposal of debris removed from the targeted areas."