A tip led city officials to undercover another homeless camp in Columbus last week, raising the count to 37 camps discovered since last summer.
While cleaning up two homeless campsites in Noblitt Park earlier this month, code enforcement officer Fred Barnett said he was approached by an individual who notified him about a large homeless camp site “over across the river.”
On Aug. 6, two Columbus police officers, two Bartholomew County Sheriff deputies and Barnett visited the site, located on private property across from Rumpke Waste & Recyling facility on Tellman Road.
They gained access to the site with permission of the property owner, who told Barnett he was unaware of the activity.
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Barnett said six or seven tents had been set up in the area, with the campsite covered in garbage and rubbish. Only one individual was at the camp at the time and he was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, Barnett said.
Among the items cluttering the site were lawnmowers, small engines and bicycles. One tent also had a work bench set up beside it in a structure made out of wood.
Barnett gave the occupants until Aug. 9 to vacate the property. When officials revisited the site Monday, the site had been emptied out and left in disarray.
Barnett said the property owner took responsibility for the clean-up efforts.
“We’re doing the best we can to deal with this situation,” Barnett said. “There’s no real answer to solve it.”
As city officials clean up one camp location, individuals tend to migrate to another location that must also be cleaned up, Barnett said. The camp sites are set up all over Columbus in places not meant for human habitation — under bridges, in the woods, along the riverbanks and in fields.
Barnett said a big concern is the amount of garbage and rubbish being left in these camps, much of which poses a safety and health hazard to the community.
Depending on the circumstances, Barnett typically gives the individual 72 hours to gather belongings and leave the site. If criminal activity is involved, however, immediate action is taken.
“It’s a lot more than what people think it is,” Barnett said. “Dealing with incidents of crime, drug abuse. It’s all a part of the problem. The city is really trying hard to work on a solution but we just don’t have the answer.”
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To report a camp site within the city limits, call code enforcement officer Fred Barnett at 812-376-2593.
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