Residents of Ella Vita Court are concerned about more and more homeless residents passing through and disrupting the neighborhood.
“There’s been a large number of instances where we called the cops,” said Paul Marusak, president of the homeowners association for the area.
Ella Vita Court residents are concerned the problem escalated this summer because of how camping is being handled west of the Durango Tech Center, he told the Durango city councilors, La Plata County Sheriff Sean Smith and others during a meeting Tuesday.
The Sheriff’s Office started an outreach campaign about 18 months ago – asking homeless people to keep camps clean and out of sight and not to engage in criminal activity. In return, deputies have not dismantled well-kept camps on county property near the Tech Center, Lt. Ed Aber told the group.
He started the campaign because for years law enforcement around Durango has swept out camps only to have them pop up again in different locations.
Interim Police Chief Lynn Johnson agreed that shutting camps just moves them around.
“It’s been effectively, in my mind, a game of Whack-A-Mole,” he said.
The community needs to explore new solutions because the federal court system has been moving toward protecting the right of homeless people to sleep in public, and aggressive enforcement of camping laws could be illegal in the future, Smith said.
The camps present a risk of a wildfire, and they are difficult for law enforcement to reach, Marusak and others said.
To help with enforcement, the Sheriff’s Office has trained two officers to patrol on mountain bike, and the agency plans to train more officers.
Some people suggested setting up a designated camping area. But this can create safety concerns for the residents of the camps, Councilor Dean Brookie said.
Several people suggested providing permanent supportive housing, a model that has helped some cities with homeless populations save money. It also helps homeless residents address other issues such as drug addiction and unemployment in a safe environment.
The City Council decided to work on possible solutions this winter before the population of homeless people rises again in summer.
“We need to be working on it diligently throughout the colder months,” City Manager Ron LeBlanc said.
He also suggested Smith meet with La Plata County commissioners, who could not attend the meeting.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
