The southeastern side of Columbus does not have an unusual crime problem, police statistics indicate, but efforts are being made to address perceptions that homeless people are loitering, stealing and using drugs near an emergency housing shelter.
Residential and commercial neighbors of the Brighter Days emergency housing shelter at 421 Mapleton St. gathered about 200 signatures last month asking that the facility at be moved out of the area.
About 65 people showed up at Columbus City Hall for a meeting Monday night to learn how the city intends to address their concerns about the shelter, which has operated out of a former fire truck maintenance facility for the past two years.
New steps
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According to city officials, one key factor in loitering has been a rule that Brighter Day clients cannot be on or near the shelter, including the entire city block around the facility, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. unless they have a scheduled appointment.
But beginning Nov. 1, the Recovery Engagement Center will be open between 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, Columbus Township trustee Ben Jackson said.
Located at 1951 McKinley Ave., the engagement center will be serving a noon meal, as well as offer showers and a laundry facility, as part of their services, Jackson said.
“It will cut down on the number of people who have no place to go,” Jackson said.
The center has recently obtained a five-year grant that will allow a qualified staff of three to work with clients, Jackson said.
In addition, the Columbus Police Department will begin to increase both vehicular and bicycle patrols in that area of the State Street corridor, police chief Jon Rohde said.
Officers will attempt to engage with people who appear to be loitering to ask if they can assist them in any way, he said.
No rise in crime
During his presentation, Rohde said he could not find evidence that crime and drug use in and around the emergency shelter has increased this year.
A year-to-year comparison of the neighborhood in and around Brighter Days showed that while there was an increase in calls about suspicious activities and vehicles, the level of crime in 2018 has been essentially the same as in 2017, the police chief said.
An analysis of 84 phone calls to police this year where Brighter Days was mentioned showed that 13 of them involved any type of crime.
After hearing complaints about drug needles being discarded in many public places, Rohde said his department has only recorded six drug violations in the Brighter Days area this year, compared with 10 last year.
Public response
In response, Columbus Collision Center owner Rodney Ferrenburg said business owners usually get rid of drug paraphernalia and other dangerous items themselves without calling police in order to avoid getting a bad reputation.
Most business owners don’t have the time to call police every time they encounter evidence of illegal drug use on their property, said another business operator, Janet Gross of Gross Self-Storage.
“I think that’s asking too much,” Gross said. “But I think that’s one reason why business owners are here. These are real problems.”
During questioning, Ninth Street Neighborhood Watch leader Chris Rutan told Rohde that residents who report suspicious activity want assurances that an officer took proper action on the report.
While Rohde said he has asked officers to follow up with callers, that’s often impossible because a majority of residents making those calls do so anonymously.
At the request of the business owners, police will present a more in-depth analysis to compare current crime rates with those occurring before Brighter Days opened in the fall of 2016, Rohde said.
Legal issues
When calls are made regarding suspicious activity, four legal issues can arise that often leave callers frustrated, Rohde said:
Under most circumstances, if an officer does not see a person commit a misdemeanor, the officer cannot make an arrest.
A person has to be showing they are endangering their life or others before they can be arrested for public intoxication.
Suspects have to be given a warning to leave private property before they can be charged with criminal trespassing.
If a stranger enters someone’s home, they cannot be charged with burglary unless they have demonstrated an intent to commit a felony theft.
But Rohde, as well as Columbus mayor Jim Lienhoop and city councilman Dascal Bunch, acknowledged that there are homeless individuals who are unwilling or unable to follow the emergency housing shelter’s rules.
Brighter Days bans possession of alcohol, illegal drugs, paraphernalia or weapons of any kind among overnight guests. The rules also prohibit behavior that might include abusive language or profanity, confrontations, stealing, criminal activity or violence in any form. Any person staying more than one night must meet with a case manager to establish a goal to work toward permanent housing.
In addition, several homeless individuals have set up campsites rather than use homeless shelters, city officials said.
As soon as one camp site is cleaned up, the individuals simply migrate to another location, Lienhoop said.
About 32 tons of garbage has already been removed from more than 12 campsites located in areas such as underneath bridges and in wooded park areas, said Fred Barnett, city code enforcement officer.
