Two-day Redding cleanup project clears waterways, removes debris

March 4, 2021 Trevor Montgomery

REDDING, Calif. — Community Work Program Officers (CWPOs), along with inmates from the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office Alternative Work Program, teamed up with Redding PD’s Neighborhood Police Unit and employees from the City of Redding Parks Department to conduct an extensive set of cleanup projects over two days this week.

Despite the ongoing, nearly year-long COVID-19 global public health crisis, as well as struggling with scarce resources and limited availability of healthy and qualified inmate workers, the Redding Police Department’s CWPO in 2020 still managed to pick up and dispose of an “amazing total of 617,940 pounds of trash,” Redding PD recently told SCNS; adding, “That is the equivalent weight of 134 RPD Ford Explorer patrol vehicles.”

LEADING THE SCNS HEADLINES:
No injuries reported after early morning Redding blaze destroys home
UPDATE: Search for missing Redding mom, 24, ends in tragedy
Convicted arsonist arrested again for setting Anderson fires
With generous donations, BES outdoor Wellness Plan project continuing
Redding traffic stop leads to fentanyl, heroin, meth seizure – Felon arrested

On the first day of the two-day operation, which was spearheaded by members of Redding Police Department’s Neighborhood Police Unit (NPU), the crews addressed areas reported to RPD regarding illegal encampments and illegal dumping.

On the second day, the groups “were at it again, this time cleaning up illegal encampments and trash around the City’s waterways,” RPD said of the cleanup operation.

“With the risk of fire danger, it is important to keep waterways and storm drains clear of debris,” RPD recently explained. RPD photos

The two-day cleanup effort, which happened on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 2nd and 3rd, was aided by the use of the City’s new grapple/dump truck with its hydraulic swing arm and claw, which was donated to RPD’s NPU and CWPO earlier this year.

The specialized vehicle, which was made available with continued help and support from Municipal Utility Manager Paul Clemens and City of Redding’s Solid Waste Department, was designed to collect large-sized, illegally-dumped garbage and can be used to pick up heavy objects and entire piles of trash with one lift.

By doing so, the grapple/dump truck can save hours of manual labor and strenuous physical effort, and “is a huge help with keeping the waterways in Redding free and clear of illegally dumped debris,” RPD recently said of the new addition to their fleet.

“I live in this community like all the other citizens in Redding and we get a number of complaints, sometimes 40 to 50 complaints a week, about illegal encampments and some of the quality of life issues and the blight we are dealing with in the community,” Redding PD NPU Corporal T. Renault said in January of the Community Work Program and its successful cleanup operations.

While thanking the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office for their help with these cleanups, RPD said its officers “will continue to work with both city and county agencies to address citizen complaints.”

Click any image to open full-size gallery.

Redding PD photos

native advertising

This article sponsored by:

https://www.facebook.com/JKknottygrill — Following all current State mandates and restrictions on dining, JK’s Knotty Grill, located inside The Shasta Inn in Mt. Shasta, remains open for outdoor dining and pickup orders. With a new expanded Take-Out menu, including crowd favorites such as JK’s Signature Knotty Klucker, Blackened Salmon with lemon jasmine rice and steamed veggies, and Grilled Pesto Chicken Salad with Tzatziki dressing, JK’s Knotty Grill is the place to go for extraordinary comfort foods and a large selection of beers, wines, and other beverages. For more information, visit JK’s Knotty Grill online or on Facebook or give them a call at (530) 859-8533.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/739098036476944

For all the latest, often up to the minute coverage of Shasta County crimes, accidents, incidents and emergencies, along with traffic, travel, and weather alerts, community awareness posts, news articles and so much more, visit Redding Crime and Community Alert Shasta County on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/Chatty-Kathys-591429164717427 — *Recently recognized by Enjoy magazine for one of the North State’s top ten best burgers,* Chatty Kathy’s serves mouth watering burgers, talk-of-the-town sandwiches, delicious milk shakes and a variety of ice creams. Located just east of Burney in Johnson Park, Chatty Kathy’s is run by local resident Kathy Ragsdale, who says, “We’ve been in the food business for 20 years and have met a lot of great people who have touched our hearts. We serve our meals with special pride; making sure all our customers are happy and full and get what they ordered.”

*For more information about Junior’s Westside Auto Sales visit them on* Facebook or online.https://www.juniorswestside.com/

With breaking news articles, videos, podcasts, opinion pieces and more, Law Enforcement News Network has all the latest news and information related to law enforcement issues across the nation.

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 49, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).

Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.