Groups Discouraged from Food Distribution in Corona Park

CORONA, CA - For the sake of health and community safety, Corona officials Monday announced a campaign to discourage the use of City Park as a location for non-permitted distribution of food and other assistance to the homeless.

According to Corona police Lt. Alan Lorton, residents and merchants around the park, located at Rimpau Avenue and Sixth Street, have been increasingly complaining about itinerants using the grounds to dump waste, loiter and camp.

Sanitation issues have cropped up as children play in areas where transients have eaten, slept and relieved themselves, Lorton said.

Homeless individuals who come to the park for the free handouts sometimes end up resting in the doorways of shops or trespassing on residential properties, Lorton said.

There are further concerns about the type of food provided by individuals and organizations that go into the park without a permit.

"As a first step, in order to relieve some of the safety concerns, the city will post signs at City Park educating the public about the violation of existing California Health and Safety codes related to non-permitted distribution of food," Lorton said.

"These signs will be clearly posted in the near future in order to discourage the non-permitted distribution of food."

From now on, individuals and organizations engaged in homeless relief will need to procure special use permits from the city and food distribution permits from the Riverside County Department of Environmental Health.

The police department's Homeless, Outreach & Psychological Evaluation Team has begun engaging groups to alert them to the need for compliance with municipal, county and state laws.

More information is available at https://local.nixle.com/alert/5838607/?sub_id=1141871.

— By City News Service /Image via Shutterstock