A photo of a homeless camp taken earlier in July by the Medicine Hat Police Service. Police have made dismantling the homeless camps a priority this summer. (Submitted photo)

By Hayley Ferguson (CHAT News Today)

Medicine Hat

Police continue to deal with homeless camps as new one found in downtown core

Oct 4, 2019 | 6:38 AM

Medicine Hat, AB – The Medicine Hat Police Service continues to deal with homeless encampments in the city.

Police were called in on Tuesday for a temporary shelter in the St.Barnabas Church parking lot on Tuesday evening.

Inspector Brent Secondiak with the police service, says that officers and the city’s municipal works department worked together to dismantle the site and “sent the people there on their way.”

Officers were called back the next morning after a smaller shelter was build in the same place.

Police put a focus on enforcement of these encampments after several were found in the city throughout the summer.

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Including behind the Medicine Hat and District Food Bank on the southeast hill and Strathcona Island Park.

Although they do not have official numbers in, Secondiak says it certainly feels like they have dealt with more homeless encampments this summer than they normally would.

“Every summer we typically see homeless encampments in various areas of the city, but this year it feels like we’re notified more. And it could be increase use of social media, which seems to be a trend. But there does feel like there’s been more and more in the downtown core then there has in years past,” Secondiak said.

The biggest concern for police is the debris often found at these sites.

Needles were found as officers dismantled the St.Barnabas sites.

“There’s a big public safety concern. There’s a dance studio there directly in that area. So I think parents were concerned with children in the area,” Secondiak continued. “And there’s a lot of users of the downtown core so again there was a huge concern for us as a safety risk with finding needles and drug paraphernalia.”

Secondiak added that another priority for them when they find an encampment with occupants is making sure they get the help they need.

“There are so many social agencies in town that are willing to help and we’ve met with most of them. We actually connect them directly to either Community Housing or temporary emergency shelter. We always put them in contact with those agencies.”

Secondiak expects that the number of camps will go down with the colder weather.