Julia Glenn, owner of 3 Brothers Furniture and a 67-year Vallejo business owner, told the City Council during the community forum on July 22 that escalating criminal activity and repeated encampment problems on nearby Union Pacific property are seriously threatening her ability to operate.

Glenn outlined a string of incidents: two fires she said were started by unhoused people (one of which destroyed about half of her inventory), a recent violent shooting on her property that required multiple airlifts, continuous trespass and harassment of staff, and repeated false-alarm fines after delayed police responses.

“I have called 9-1-1 at 9 in the morning and stayed till 5 and the police have not shown up on my incidences,” Glenn said. She asked the council whether the Vallejo Police Department could commit to at least one patrol or check-in per day along her business corridor, and requested clearer city procedures and points of contact for relocating unhoused people in distress and for reporting illegal encampments on railroad property.

Glenn said she spent $16,000 to erect a fence to block railroad access and had it cut the next day; she asked what else the city could require of small-business owners and how the city could better partner to reduce trespass and improve safety. City staff offered to follow up; the vice mayor suggested city staff (the city manager’s office) would connect Glenn with relevant contacts for cleanups and funding application questions.

The comment formed part of a larger complement of community-forum remarks that evening on public safety and homelessness, including formal proposals for temporary housing and development requests from nonprofit and private partners.