Clarkston officials: Our hands are tied when it comes to homeless at Foster Park

After listening to criticism and concerns about the homeless campers at Foster Park, several Clarkston city councilors explained their dilemma.

Officials at Tuesday night’s meeting said they understand the frustration of neighbors living near the park, but there is only so much the city can do about the situation.

“Our hands are tied,” said Councilor Skate Pierce. “Everybody’s frustrated, but violating someone’s civil rights would show incredibly poor judgment by the city, especially with a lawsuit from the Northwest Justice Project already in play."

“We hear what you’re saying,” Councilor Robin Albers told the residents. The city is working within the confines of 9th District laws, and cannot arrest people for being homeless.

Police Chief Joel Hastings said officers respond to complaints at Foster Park on a regular basis. If a tent is put up before 9 p.m. or after 7 a.m., police ask the owners to remove them.

His department is following the city attorney’s advice and doing as much as possible to keep the unhoused from violating city codes, Hastings said. With one or two officers on duty, it’s impossible to have police at the park 24 hours a day.

Councilor Russ Evans said a committee is working on solutions, but it will take time to get a designated place for the unhoused up and running. The city has to have a place for people to sleep because no shelter is available.

During public comments, Jennifer Graham, who owns a house near Foster Park, brought buckets of items found at the park with a metal detector. The contents included about 5 pounds of dangerous materials, such as burnt foils used for drugs, knives, weapons and various drug paraphernalia.

Ronald Kunze, of Clarkston, said there’s a difference between homeless and “street people,” who are voluntarily unhoused. The street people are the ones causing the problems. “Start enforcing what’s already on the books,” he told the council.

Denise Schilling, of Clarkston, spoke in support of the people who sleep at Foster Park. She said many are dealing with trauma, health problems, domestic violence assaults and other issues that led to their current living situation.

As a regular visitor to the park, Schilling said the unhoused are being unfairly harassed and targeted by people who continually call in complaints to the police. Most of the people at the park need extra love, she said. “They’re all humans. They all have a name and they all have a story. Most of them have a heart of gold.”

Another woman said “using the park as a dumping ground” is a crime. Drugs and criminal behavior at Foster Park are ruining the neighborhood.

“Nobody is obligated to take care of these adults,” said Chris Alexander.

Court cases in the 9th District are pending, and the decisions could affect how cities can deal with the growing number of homeless individuals, officials said. However, the city is not equipped to become a mental health or drug rehab business. The focus of the council is on taking care of city government business, overseeing the various departments and following the law, officials said.

Sandaine can be reached at kerris@lmtribune.com.