20 Homeless Encampments Cleared From Palm Desert

PALM DESERT, CA — About 20 homeless encampments on railroad property in Palm Desert were cleared out on Wednesday, leaving several unsheltered people displaced.

The operation was conducted along the south side of Interstate 10, between Bob Hope Drive and Washington Street.

Sheriff's deputies, a homeless outreach team, Union Pacific police, and Cal Fire were on hand.

"Deputies walked the length of both sides of the railroad tracks and contacted 12 individuals living on or near the tracks," according to the sheriff's department. "As the individuals were contacted, cleanup crews responded and removed approximately 20 encampments."

Five people were arrested and booked into Indio's John Benoit Detention Center on "various charges," the sheriff's department said.

The encampments' residents were given a two-day notice to vacate, the department said. It's not clear how many took advantage of services offered by the homeless outreach team.

The clearouts were necessary due to safety concerns about people living so close to railroad tracks and health hazards created by trash buildup, according to the sheriff's department.