SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- An Ocean Beach man took matters into his own hands when he found two filthy homeless camps along the cliffs.
Jeff Jaszcak says he's seen similar camps before, but these two were the biggest he's ever seen.
“We have a Hepatitis situation that everybody’s aware of and these camps have been smaller in the past," Jaszcak said. "They were at least double to triple the size this time.”
The camps were near the bottom of Orchard and Del Mar Avenues. He got his wife and two other volunteers and filled bags with trash, meth pipes, syringes, and human waste.
“And along with the just the general trash that came with these camps there was an enormous amount of fecal matter," Jaszcak said. "I mean, 25 to 30 pounds I want to say that I scooped up from that. And that was dry.”
RELATED: San Diego adding 3 new homeless shelters, look to curb hepatitisA outbreak
Since he surfs in the area and lives close by, it was important to him none of those hazardous materials wash into the ocean.
“It just was something I couldn’t ignore anymore," Jaszcak said. "I mean, I don’t know if it was a good idea to take it upon myself to do that but I feel good today. And a lot of other people feel good today and that feels really good.”
10News reached out to the City of San Diego about the civilian cleanup and received this statement:
"Members of the public with these types of concerns can contact their council member’s office directly, our dispatch center at 619-527-7500 or make a report online at www.sandiego.gov.
Our teams will dispatch the calls to work crews able to address issues in the public right-of-way, which includes streets and gutters (property owners are responsible for maintenance of private areas). It is important to share as much detail as possible when you make a report.
Provide an address, a specific location at the address (sidewalk, gutter, street, etc…) and, when reporting online, photos are very helpful for our crews."
The City also offered some general safety tips in a second statement:
"If the matter is in the public right-of-way, they should reach out to the City.
Overall, the most critical tips for preventing hepatitis A are:
- Everyone: wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap for 20 seconds. Do this after using a restroom, before and during food preparation, and before you eat. (Hint: 20 seconds is longer than you think.)
- If you’re at-risk, get a vaccination by contacting your healthcare provider. A list of clinics, including several at City libraries, is available at 211sandiego.org."
RELATED: How can you tell if you have hepatitis A?
