FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – Two Fort Wayne City Councilmen are expressing their concerns with local homeless encampments.
Russ Jehl and Scott Myers say Fort Wayne is behind others in the state in dealing with the issue.
They want to allow police to be able to remove encampments. Such actions are often called “sweeps” or “abatements.”
Research shows that those are often ineffective and worsen conditions for those experiencing homelessness.
Councilmen Jehl and Myers released the following statement after sending M,ayor Sharon Tucker a letter about the issue:
On Monday, Councilmen Russell Jehl and Scott Myers delivered a letter to City Attorney Malak Heiny calling for a review of the City of Fort Wayne’s strategy for the legality and strategy for addressing encampments, which have become prevalent in the community.
We have asked the City Attorney and Administration to look at two divergent approaches to ongoing vagrancy and public camping and provide perspective on the direction the community should go.
These approaches, one championed by California Governor Gavin Newsom, the other by President Donald Trump, provide very different guidance on how to approach issues created by continued encampments on public property.
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