Mayor vows to uproot homeless camp

Timothy Pratt and Ed Koch

Wednesday, March 20, 2002 | 11:10 a.m.

Calling a homeless encampment of 150 people at Foremaster Lane and Main Street "out of control," Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said this morning the city is coordinating a plan to solve the problem in the coming days that could include arrests of the homeless.

"What's going to happen in the next couple of days is not a publicity stunt," Goodman said. "It's almost a docudrama. We're going to deal with the situation legally and humanely, but something has to be done."

Goodman refused to disclose details of a plan, which will include several agencies, but already this week Clark County health officials have inspected the area and plan to make recommendations to city and Metro Police officials Thursday.

Metro officers who work with the homeless have been surveying the area, trying to move those who are willing into shelters.

The actions come as the Regional Planning Coalition's Homelessness Task Force prepares Thursday to review a regional approach to deal with the Las Vegas Valley's homeless.

The regional plan addresses the needs of three groups: the "have-nots," those who are homeless because of financial circumstances such as job loss or medical bills; the "can-nots," who are mentally or physically disabled; and the "will-nots," those who are able-bodied and mentally capable but refuse structured services.

Goodman said this week's effort at Foremaster and Main will focus on the will-nots.

"You have to balance their rights with their need to uphold certain laws," the mayor said. "If they choose that lifestyle and are not breaking any laws, we are precluded from doing anything. But if they are violating laws, then we are going to arrest them.

"The laws they're violating including ruining private property, creating health hazards, selling drugs and beating each other up."

Since the city of Las Vegas earlier this year abrogated a homeless encampment near the railroad tracks on Owens Avenue -- an area out of sight from the road, tucked behind area businesses and a homeless shelter -- the homeless have been more visible and growing in numbers in the roadside encampment.

Businesses in the area have complained that the encampment is hindering their work. Palm Mortuary officials have said that mourners visiting gravesites have been bothered by homeless people.

Attempts to remove the homeless while there is a shelter bed shortage, however, could lead to civil liberties violations, officials of the American Civil Liberties Union have warned.

"The courts have already proven that being homeless is not against the law," local ACLU executive director Gary Peck said Tuesday, adding that the group would sue if homeless people are arrested just for being in the area.

Goodman assured that would not happen.

"The entire thrust has to be within the law," he said. "We're going to tell them there are beds and other services available. We are going to treat their needs and the needs of businesses at the same time."

Sharon Mann, spokeswoman for the Catholic Charities St. Vincent's shelter, said today that her 400-bed facility was at capacity Tuesday night and has been for more than a week.

The Salvation Army shelter also has been over capacity for the past three weeks, spokesman Charles Desiderio said.

Mann said at least 550 additional beds will be available by late July for the homeless, including a special 190-bed overnight shelter that will cost $5 per night.

Two Metro Police officers who work with the homeless have talked with an estimated 150 homeless people in the area of Foremaster Lane and Main Street in the past few days to see who want to get a bed in a shelter. They found seven.

"You hear lots of different reasons why they don't want to go into a shelter," said Sgt. Eric Fricker of Metro's Downtown Area Command.

A few people on the street are married couples and there is no shelter that takes couples. Others say they get off work at 2 a.m. and can't get in at that time, Fricker said. Still others just don't want to follow the shelter rules, he said.

Mann said Catholic Charities shelter rules include no drugs or alcohol.

Health inspectors who visited the Foremaster and Main encampments on Monday noted human waste and trash lining the property that borders area businesses and Woodlawn Cemetery.

Although health officials have not ruled out any options, Metro Police officials have discouraged installing portable toilets in the area -- a move that on the surface would resolve such a health problem.

"We've been told by police that would not be a good idea for three reasons," Glenn Savage, an environmental health supervisor, said. "People would start living in them, drug deals would be conducted in them and people who could not get access to them because of the other two reasons would tip them over."

Sun reporter Keith Paul contributed to this report.