Emotions in Minneapolis are running high as city officials took down another homeless encampment on Tuesday, leaving some upset over the decision.
Officials took down the homeless encampment in the Phillips neighborhood over ongoing health and safety concerns.
The encampment taken down was an outgrowth of the larger encampment known as Camp Nennokassi.
During a press conference after the encampment was taken down, some spectators interrupted officials, asking them where the homeless were supposed to go.
City Operations Officer Margaret Anderson Kelliher says there are more than enough beds available in the city. However, she said there’s often resistance because, in many cases, people must be willing to enter some sort of addiction treatment program to receive care and assistance.
She says the city has identified land it plans to transfer to Red Lake Nation for that purpose.
“We actually have been working actively with Red Lake Nation, and Red Lake Nation wants to build a permanent structure that would be a healing center, an opioid treatment center, and other addictions center,” Kelliher said.
Public safety was also a worry at the homeless encampment, with Public Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette sharing that lives were at risk.
“Some of those issues have been death threats among campers, assaults, and gunshots with injuries,” Barnette said.