Special Report: An in-depth look at the Lompoc Riverbed

According to the Lompoc Police Department, there is anywhere from 60-100 people who call the Lompoc Riverbed home.

Each of them has a story of how they ended up here. For some it was voluntary, an escape from the fast pace of everyday life.

"We don't have drama and all the other stuff you might get in town or in the neighborhoods," said James Baumann, who lives in the riverbed.

"There's a lot of stress you know living in society, driving cars, the hustle and bustle. Things are a little slower [here]." said one man who lives in the riverbed and asked to remain anonymous.

For others, it's the only option they have. Jeremiah Gordon moved here with his two teenage sons after he lost his job.

"I like the freedom out here and I don't like having a lot of people around me. I don't like the drug activity [here] that's for sure," Gordon explained.

Gordon says living in the riverbed can be hard on his sons because they don't want their friends to know where they sleep at night. "So sometimes if we're walking and we see their friends, they'll take off and leave me right there and go hide."

Aside from the judgment of teenagers, there are some real dangers when it comes to setting up homeless camps in the riverbed.

One man was killed in November 2017 after he got involved in a lovers' triangle with other people staying there.

"You always have to worry about somebody in whatever direction coming into somebody's camp when they're not around and stealing," Baumann said.

"You gotta be tough to live down here that's for sure. There's people out here that are crazy when they're on drugs and they'll go right to your front door, they'll go right to your tent. You either stand your ground or die I guess," Gordon said.

Corporal Brian Guerra from the Lompoc Police Department spends a lot of his time talking with those in the riverbed, trying to prevent some of the crime. Many times people reject his help however, and many crimes are left unreported.

"A lot of people wouldn't take the help unfortunately even if it was provided to get em up on their feet and get working and get to where they could sustain their own living in the city. A lot of them are happy just to stay out here and be left alone," Guerra explained.

Shawndel Malcolm works with a group called "Planting a Seed." He often finds people who don't want help but still, his organization works to get homeless people connected with the resources they need.

"One of the things that we do that may seem like enabling is that each person experiencing homelessness costs the community about $46,000 in emergency services. [Because of this], sometimes we'll come down here and we try to provide a tarp or some blankets, jackets, food, something to that effect so that it helps to keep them dry and healthy and they don't use the emergency services as much," Malcolm explained.

The days of people living in the riverbed could be coming to end however. Lompoc's Police Chief Pat Walsh spoke to the City Council earlier this month, offering three options for cleaning up the riverbed.

"Not in any particular order, here are the options I think: Option one would be to do nothing and I don't think it's gonna get better. Option two would be remove all persons from the riverbed and remove all debris from the riverbed and then support police officers patrolling the riverbed daily and continuously so that they don't go back in and camp in the riverbed. Option three would be to remove all persons from the riverbed and leave the debris," Walsh said.

Talk of removing those who live in the riverbed is great news for people like Lanor Keiser.
She sees people walking through her neighborhood to get to the riverbed and it's left her living in fear.

"They're looking right smack in my house and every place else and I am concerned about the safety cause I still am raising a great-grandchild and I am concerned about that," Keiser said.

Keiser is now considering a home security system to help her feel more at ease. "I pull my blinds really tight and keep the lights on low so it doesn't look like a fishbowl sitting here."

Some community advocates say making everyone leave the riverbed could create even more problems.

Many of the local shelters and low income housing complexes are full, leaving nowhere for the homeless to go.

"Moving the problem isn't the solution sometimes. You know they're all people and we're all here to take care and hopefully get something going cause this isn't helping our community at all," Guerra said.

While more planning and action by the police department and city council will happen before anyone is moved out, people we spoke with now living in the riverbed are hoping for a little compassion.

"Balance would be nice - to be able to sit and talk with some of the community people and let them know that it's fine and we're okay," Baumann said.

"[Being homeless] could happen to anybody; you could be the richest person - blink of an eye - dude you're down here," said Gordon.