Group Threatened With Arrest If They Feed Homeless at Saratoga Park on July 4th

UPDATE: No arrests made as volunteers served dozens of homeless and other needy people this morning at Saratoga Park in OB.

A group that feeds homeless people on every holiday at an Ocean Beach park has been threatened with arrest by police if they go ahead feed the homeless on July 4th.

The group – Second Chances – is a non-profit that works with local churches and homeless advocates. They feed homeless people in OB every Saturday at the Episcopal Church on Sunset Cliffs and Brighton. And on major holidays the also feed homeless folks at Saratoga Park down at the beach. The last holiday they did this was on Memorial Day this year – without hassles.

Yet, one of their organizers, Glyn Franks, told the OB Rag that during a meeting of the OBMA Crime Prevention Committee yesterday, July 2, police alluded to making arrests of anyone feeding homeless at the park on July 4th. Franks said that he felt threatened with being detained and removed by police if he went ahead.

Franks told us that he and his group, about a dozen volunteers, do plan to go ahead and feed people between 11a.m. and 2 p.m. down at Saratoga Park. Saratoga Park is the grassy area right in front of the new 3 story condo complex being constructed.

Second Chances has volunteers from a number of local churches, including the OB First Baptist Church, Newbreak Church over on Ebers Street, the Episcopal Church, and the San Diego Rescue Mission. This is their 19th year in Ocean Beach.

Second Chances also operate medical and legal clinics for needy and homeless.

The OB Rag has a call into Western Division for confirmation.