MAKAPU'U — Police and city park personnel swept through picnic areas at Makapu'u yesterday, where homeless sleep in their cars and tents, telling people to leave or move their belongings so the area could be cleaned.

It was the second time in less than two weeks that police accompanied city workers to clear beach parks. On June 16, police assisted in removing campers from Mokule'ia Beach Park, after the city adopted a rule to close the park from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. because of a lack of restroom facilities.

City spokesman Bill Brennan said police regularly accompany parks personnel to campgrounds for cleanups as a precaution.

The sweep yesterday wasn't part of any campaign, just routine maintenance, Brennan said.

"Usually when HPD is involved, it's at the request of parks," he said. "Maybe they felt they could get to that point where it's better to be safe than sorry."

At Makapu'u, commonly called Baby Makapu'u, police towed three automobiles and arrested one person on an outstanding warrant, according to park users.

While Wednesday cleanups at city camp sites are common and campers know they are supposed to be gone by 8 a.m., Makapu'u is not an official camp site and some of the people who have been there for a while said yesterday's sweep was unusual.

"This is the first time they did this over here that I know of," said Alice Flores, whose relatives are living at Makapu'u beach. "Usually over here they just get warrant checks."

Flores, who has been homeless for 10 months, and others said police asked everyone to move their tents and tarps so city workers could clean the area.

One group that has staked out the area for the Fourth of July weekend said it complied and were told it could put its tarps back. Members of the group said someone sleeps at the beach at night to watch over their tarp.

In another area adjacent to Makapu'u Beach Park, several people were living out of their automobiles and tents. They said police came to warn them last week and issued citations for automobiles without current registrations or safety inspections.

Yesterday, two tents and one van remained in the area.

Andrew Jamila Jr., a Waimanalo Neighborhood Board member, said the parks department hadn't been cleaning the area regularly and yesterday was the start of a new effort.

"My heart goes out to the homeless, but until they actually change the law, the park keepers gotta maintain the area," Jamila said. "Basically, the area is for everybody whether you're homeless or not."