ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. — The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office blight team and Atlantic Beach Police teamed up to gut a homeless encampment in Dutton Island Preserve this week.

Several park visitors told First Coast News they’re relieved they can come to this side of the park again after they’ve been avoiding it, but they do feel for the people who were displaced.

“It’s sad,” said Victor Browne while visiting the park. “It’s too common. I can understand why, but there has to be a better solution.”

Browne says some tough times have led to him living out of his van.

He says he knew one of the people living in Dutton Island Preserve’s homeless encampment, and was surprised to see the whole area emptied.

“I know what that’s like,” said Browne. “It’s happened to me a few times. Just like, well if you get bulldozed, too bad. Just as long as it’s not happening to them, they don’t care.”

Atlantic Beach Police Chief Victor Gualillo says the department received several calls from park visitors about the issue, and the clean up didn’t happen overnight.

“We’ve had Sulzbacher’s outreach team out there to try to find housing for these folks,” said Gualillo. “That didn’t seem to work. One of the things we try to always incorporate in our interactions with the homeless population is letting them know they have services available and trying to put them in touch with those services.”

Jacksonville City Councilmember Rory Diamond points out the new state law that prohibits camping at public buildings, streets and parks – like Dutton Island Preserve – has to be enforced or municipalities could face lawsuits.

“These homeless camps are bad for everybody,” said Diamond. “They’re bad for the neighborhoods. They’re bad for crime, and they’re bad for the homeless because no one wants to live in a camp like that. We don’t want these camps everywhere, and the police have the right to go and do this work.”

Diamond says he’s also received calls about the old Amaco gas station nearby on Mayport Road, but that presents a different issue since it’s on private property.

“We have to go through a whole process to get a camp shut down, but we’re on it,” said Diamond. “We’re working to get that particular one done off Mayport [Road].”

The Atlantic Beach Police Chief says they’ll patrol near Dutton Island Preserve just to make sure the encampment doesn’t come back.

He says they’re not aware of any other encampments on public property at this point.