Redding Police have been responding to complaints about blight at Parkview Park, which is located on the river just south of the Cypress Bridge. Officers say there has been a significant surge in illegal activity there as they’ve witnessed open drug use, fights, illegal camping, cooking fires, bicycle chop shops, and huge accumulations of trash. Nearby business owners have been victims of vandalism, theft, discarded hypodermic needles and defecation. The RPD’s non-uniformed Critical Incident Response Team has reached out and connected about 60 homeless people with housing and other services, but many of them are resistant. That’s when they have to deal with the RPD Park Rangers and Community Work Program Officers, who are not as gentle. They’ve written many citations and made a number of arrests, as well as clearing out trash. About 9,000 Pounds has been removed from Parkview Park in the last three weeks, and officers are doing regular patrols at all hours.