(Sacramento, CA) — Holly Tolbert, a longtime Del Paso Manor resident, recalls the moment that sparked her activism: “A couple years ago, my son was chased home by a homeless man near Country Club Plaza. It scared him to death.” That plaza, once a bustling shopping center, has since become a focal point for growing concerns about homelessness, crime, and property neglect.
The mall, owned by several different real estate and property management companies, has faced mounting issues. As conditions worsened, Tolbert began documenting the crisis. For over a year, she filmed daily scenes of encampments, drug use, and vandalism, sharing them on social media and sending reports to county officials. “I emailed the supervisor, the sheriff, and the district attorney every single day,” she said. “We were told, ‘We can’t do anything.’”
(Left photo: OpGov.ai | Right photo: Courtesy of Holly Tolbert.)
The problem was compounded by legal limitations: law enforcement needed a “letter of agency” from property owners to intervene on private property. “That meant if something happened at Raley’s, we couldn’t call the sheriff unless the store manager did,” Tolbert explained.
After much pressure, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors voted to extend its unlawful camping ordinance to private property in unincorporated areas. Previously, enforcement was limited to public land, which pushed encampments onto vacant lots and business properties. Under the new rules, deputies can now act without prior authorization from property owners when addressing illegal camping. Camping is only allowed on your own property or with written permission, and must include access to toilets and trash collection. Violations can lead to removal of tents and structures, with personal property stored for 90 days. Refusal to vacate may result in misdemeanor charges.
The ordinance takes effect in mid-February 2026. Sacramento County Board Chair Rosario Rodriguez emphasized that the ordinance is not intended to criminalize homelessness but to encourage people to accept services.
(Left photo: OpGov.ai | Right photo: Courtesy of Holly Tolbert.)
Despite progress, Tolbert points to ongoing drug activity, violent incidents—including a fatal fight between two homeless individuals—and a lack of shelter compliance. “We don’t hate homeless people,” she emphasized. “We just don’t want chaos in our neighborhood.”
Mark Soble, commenting on a Nextdoor post, cited a UCSF study: “The largest representative study in decades found that 37.1% of unhoused participants reported regular drug use, while 50.3% reported no regular use of illegal substances.” Tolbert counters with local data: “Our Sheriff HOT (Homeless Outreach Team) team says it’s closer to 90%. What we are seeing is addiction—the secondary problem is homelessness. You can’t house your way out of the problem.”
Tolbert has since joined Advocates for Arden Arcade, a group pushing for incorporation to give the community more control over local governance, and she is also an administrative member of the Facebook group Arden Arcade and Carmichael Community Watch.
“We’re unincorporated, so we don’t have a mayor or city resources,” she said. “We’re governed by districts, and the city has pushed a lot of these problems our way.”
Tolbert says county officials, including Supervisor Rich Desmond of District 3, has acknowledge the crisis. Although the sheriff’s office has deployed a Homeless Outreach Team, many individuals refuse services.
“It’s a cycle; I see the same faces over and over,” Tolbert said. “One guy had been arrested 69 times (allegedly) by age 40.”
(Photo of NextDoor post.)
John Fierro, a restaurant owner in North Sacramento, shared the strain on small businesses: “There are at least four homeless camps less than a block away. I allow bathroom use by anyone who asks, but it means checking more often, higher toilet paper use, no hand towels because they get used to bathe. The plumbing is sketchy, but we’re hanging on.”
Tolbert hopes the new ordinance and continued community pressure will bring relief.
“For us to give you the rights you think you are entitled to, a business owner and a community have to lose all of theirs. We just want a safe neighborhood for our kids. Right now, that feels impossible.”
On the early afternoons of January 21 and 25, this OpGov.ai reporter drove out to the Country Club Plaza and surrounding shopping centers in Arden Arcade to see firsthand whether there were any visible signs of homeless encampments, loitering, or drug activity. Upon arrival, the scene was surprisingly orderly. The plaza and the surrounding areas appeared relatively clean—especially notable given the reputation of the area. In addition to the absence of camps or obvious drug use, a Sheriff’s deputy was actively patrolling the rear section of the old Macy's property, reinforcing a sense of security and vigilance, and a mobile surveillance camera trailer was located in the WinCo Foods parking lot, providing additional law enforcement surveillance.
Whether this reflects a new lasting shift or a temporary reprieve remains to be seen. For residents like Holly Tolbert, the hope is that new ordinances and persistent community pressure will turn moments like this into the norm rather than the exception. Change may not come overnight—but perhaps, just perhaps, it has already begun.
If you have homeless issues in your neighborhood or would like homeless related resources, contact the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department Homeless Outreach Team.
Note: OpGov.ai believes in fair and balanced transparent news reporting. We contacted the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department for comment on enforcement procedures and HOT operations but did not receive a response before publication. We will update this story if we receive additional information.
Submit tips and story ideas to Sarah Denos at sarahkdenos@gmail.com.
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