Dead Body Discovered While Clearing Large Homeless Encampment Near Oakland's Fruitvale

Cleanup crews in Oakland discovered an unresponsive individual while clearing a large homeless encampment on East 12th Street on Monday, prompting police involvement. The city had posted notices a week prior, giving residents seven days to vacate the area. The Oakland Police Department reported that paramedics declared the person dead at the scene. While city officials stated there were 79 residents at the encampment, advocates suggest the actual number is closer to 189, indicating a significant discrepancy. Leajay Harper, an advocate with Wood Street Commons, criticized the city's approach, comparing it to a game of Whac-a-Mole as individuals are repeatedly displaced without permanent solutions.

Earlier in 2023, the city conducted a significant cleanup of the Wood Street encampment, which had housed around 300 people. The number of encampments in Oakland has surged, with 63 logged in February, the highest in four years. This trend suggests that dismantling larger encampments merely leads to smaller ones forming elsewhere, exacerbating the homelessness crisis.