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Hawaii News

Nearly 40 cars removed in sweep of homeless camp

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Video courtesy Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation
State, city and non-government organization workers, and volunteers worked to clean up Waianae's Kea'au Beach Park this morning.
COURTESY CITY DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
                                State, city and nongovernment organization workers and volunteers worked to clean up Waianae’s Kea‘au Beach Park this morning.
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COURTESY CITY DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

State, city and nongovernment organization workers and volunteers worked to clean up Waianae’s Kea‘au Beach Park this morning.

COURTESY CITY DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
                                State, city, nongovernment organization workers and volunteers worked to clean up Waianae’s Kea‘au Beach Park this morning.
3/3
Swipe or click to see more

COURTESY CITY DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

State, city, nongovernment organization workers and volunteers worked to clean up Waianae’s Kea‘au Beach Park this morning.

COURTESY CITY DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
                                State, city and nongovernment organization workers and volunteers worked to clean up Waianae’s Kea‘au Beach Park this morning.
COURTESY CITY DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
                                State, city, nongovernment organization workers and volunteers worked to clean up Waianae’s Kea‘au Beach Park this morning.

The state, the city, nonprofit organizations and volunteers joined forces Tuesday to clean up 10 homeless encampments at Waianae’s Kea‘au Beach Park, Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation officials said.

Workers removed “derelict machinery and bulky items,” including 38 automobiles, two boats, a personal watercraft, dozens of tires, mattresses, pallets and other inoperable machinery.

Drivers were encouraged to use caution along Farrington Highway, which was reduced to one lane at times to transport heavy machinery, according to city parks spokesman Nathan Serota.

Homeless people in the area have repeatedly been offered services by Kealahou West O‘ahu, Serota said in a news release.

The Hawaiian Humane Society is helping with dozens of animals, mostly dogs.

Marc Alexander, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Housing, said in a statement, “We are encouraged that this collaborative outreach and enforcement effort will help remove some of the larger items that have littered this beautiful coastline. We hope that this will provide a clean slate for this beach to be enjoyed by everyone, with support from the community to help activate this area and keep it as clean as possible.”

The nonprofit group Protectors of Paradise, and the office of state Rep. Cedric Gates (D, Waianae-Makaha-Makua), are organizing a volunteer cleanup of the area following Tuesday’s sweep, but details have yet to be disclosed.

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