Police shoo away illegal campers from the city's hidden lairs as often as people make themselves a cup of morning coffee. Boyd Bryant, spokesman for the Everett Police Department. Transient camps are a perpetual thing. Health and safety are real issues. Most don't have sewage disposal, Bryant said.
Many transient campers generate trash.
That can mean dangers such as syringes or broken glass. Some who set up camp are in dire economic situations, are addicted to alcohol or drugs, or may be mentally disturbed, Bryant said. In August 1998 alone, police arrested 18 people for investigation of trespassing and unlawful camping east of Broadway along the Snohomish River and beneath the I-5 freeway overpass. Laura Van Slyck, Everett city prosecutor, said she can recall just a handful of cases her office prosecuted this past year. But city laws banning camping give police the tools they need to work with the campers.