SAN DIEGO — It's no secret San Diego has a huge homeless problem.
But have you ever wondered what happens to all the trash that piles up around encampments?
In October, the city started the 'Enhanced Hotspot Program' to take care of it.
Seven days a week, crews scour the city looking for encampments or areas known for illegal dumping and clean them up.
"This is purely a proactive team so ‘Get It Done’ is the main way we receive reports throughout the city of concerns residents want to take care of. This team is driven by going out and finding areas on their own and taking care of them," said Franklin Coopersmith, the Interim Deputy Director of Environmental Services.
CBS 8 spoke with Coopersmith at J and 17th, where a crew was working.
While there, some homeless people made trash piles to get picked up.
Coopersmith said that'd become a common thing.
"They know they're here to move any of the waste in the area, so you see, there are several piles around here that have been created, and when I showed up, this pile wasn't even here," said Coopersmith.
The crews don't go near any tents, even though under the city's municipal code, they're not allowed on streets and sidewalks during daytime hours.
Coopersmith says it’s not this team's job to enforce laws or clear out encampments, saying that's up to the police and a separate abatement team, who must give advance notice.
"They will go and actually post in the morning and let everyone know on that block either in three hours or 72 hours, there's going to be an abatement taking place here and those crews will be addressing the abatements themselves," said Coopersmith.
How do the people who live in these tents feel about the city's efforts?
One man named Larry told CBS8 he appreciates it.
"They're doing a good job."
But, some people have been critical, saying people's personal belongings are being thrown out.
Coopersmith tells CBS8 code compliance officers to go out with each crew to help identify what's trash and what's not.
As for the program's future, it's slated to continue until February, but Coopersmith says it's proven to be so successful, collecting more than 125 tons in eight weeks, he hopes to expand it, adding while it may not solve the homeless problem, they're doing their part.
"This is a big group effort, just one piece of the puzzle."
While the program is designed to be proactive, you can still request a crew to come out to an encampment or an illegal dumping ground on the city of San Diego’s ‘Get It Done’ app.
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