Private Squatter‑Removal Industry Emerges

When public enforcement slows, private actors can turn eviction and property reclamation into a paid service, sometimes using violent or extralegal tactics. Oakland now hosts advertised 'squatter removal' firms and individuals who step in because sheriff or police responses take months. — Privatized enforcement creates accountability gaps, legal risk, and socioeconomic inequality — it reshapes which actors exercise coercion in cities and raises questions about state legitimacy, landlord incentives, and vigilantism.