Columbus police caught in middle of city’s proposal on stricter rules for homeless encampments

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — Columbus City Council is discussing a proposed new ordinance that would toughen the city’s homeless camping laws on public property. 

WRBL News 3 Chuck Williams spent some time with the officers who would be in charge of enforcing the potential new law.

The proposed ordinance has drawn intense scrutiny as the city – and others like Columbus across the country – deal with a persistent homeless issue. 

“Law enforcement is stuck in the middle of it,” said Chief Stone Mathis with Columbus PD.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Proposed ordinance receives major backlash at City Council

And the team that’s mainly in the middle of this is the Columbus Police Department Community Policing Unit, which handles most of the homeless calls and issues. 

“It is a problem that we as a community have to solve,” said Sgt. Katina Williams, with the Community Policing Unit.

Until that happens, the burden of enforcing any current laws regulating homelessness and any new ones that could be passed falls on law enforcement, while the Community Policing Unit deals with it daily. 

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Columbus police take compassionate approach as city weighs homeless camping ordinance

WRBL News 3 visited multiple homeless camps with officers this week, with some in plain sight, while others are hidden. Here’s what News 3 found: 

Half a dozen people camped in front of a closed Sonic on Victory Drive, A 30-year-old man panhandling on the roadside at the Moon Road and J.R. Allen Parkway westbound off ramp, along with two encampments on public property near J.R. Allen and Second Avenue, down in the water drainage systems alongside the highway. 

“It is sad to see how they live. Especially if you have to duck off in the woods. Just not to – I don’t want to say get harassed – but to get harassed or told to move because you don’t have anywhere to go,” said Demetrius McDowell with Columbus PD.

But even when they are out of sight, the homeless issue brings crime and piles of litter to the area. 

“They got trails that come up behind everybody’s houses. We have had some trespass from the whole neighborhood. They’re stealing bicycles. A kid’s bicycle is not safe in the front yard, nowhere around here at any time of the day,” said Eddie, a resident. “At night, they come and prowl on any tools, whatever they can get to take to a pawn shop. And the general mess they leave. There is trash everywhere.” 

Right now, police can tell them to leave public property, and they have seven days to do so, and Williams says most of the time they leave, but they just move to another spot. 

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And it’s more complicated on private property, like the Victory Drive Sonic. 

“On private property we can’t make them leave. We have to make contact with the owner of the property and when they live out of town or they are away or are no longer making money at the property, we never get a call back from them. This situation at the Sonic has been going on for a while,” Williams said.

The proposed ordinance would cut the time down from seven days to one day for homeless people to vacate public property. 

Mayor Skip Henderson said that the city council will continue the discussion on a proposed homeless camping ordinance. They will resume those talks Aug. 12.