VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Only Channel 9 is catching a glimpse of the islands along the Halifax River in Volusia County as law enforcement cleared out homeless camps.
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Investigators said the islands are like little cities that have become hot spots for criminal activity.
Police said the problem is that the people living there are putting the public at risk.
They also deal with a lot of criminal activity, including death investigations.
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The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, and South Daytona and Port Orange Police Departments boarded boats and rode the river.
One of the areas -- known as “Pelican Island” -- isn’t your typical homeless haven.
It has several high structures with rooms for rent and places to play.
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At least one woman was taken into custody because she had already been given a warning by Port Orange Police for staying on the islands.
Port Orange Chief Manuel Marino said that while the structures are a spectacle, they’re unsafe and could collapse.
“Boaters use those islands as well,” Marino said. “There’s nothing to say teenagers won’t go out there.”
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Police believe many criminals call the islands home.
“We’ve been out there now for death investigations; we’ve been out there for wanted individuals,” Marino said. “And it seems like every time we go out to the islands; we find more and more issues.”
Eventually, law enforcement plans to clear them out completely.
“It’s just a matter of logistics, what kind of equipment do you need to get out there and again, that will be a partnership, and how do you get all that debris off the island and onto the mainland so it can be disposed of,” Marino said.
Law enforcement put trespass warnings on tons of structures Friday, and they will return on Monday. If they find more people, they will take them into custody.
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