Modesto Park Rangers are mulling over installing security cameras throughout the area of the ‘homeless caves,’ to help deter further digging
During a volunteer cleanup of California’s Tuolumne River this weekend, an intricate network of manmade caves was discovered. These “hidden caves” carved into the river’s eroding banks were found to be inhabited by homeless people .
CBS News in Sacramento was taken on a tour of the “cave camps” in Modesto , stretching 20 feet beneath the city’s bustling streets.
Previous excavations by the homeless in the same area were cleared out and filled in late 2022.
But since then, the homeless have returned, and the makeshift underground dwellings have become much more complex, with wall paintings, mantles, and hooks used to hang bottles.
The Modesto Police Department did issue a statement about the cleanup , which resulted in the removal of nearly 8,000 pounds of trash. The effort was arranged in collaboration with 9.2.99 , a local volunteer organization, and conducted along the riverbanks in the area of Crater Avenue and Dallas Street.