8-19-20 Superintendent Bangoura Encampment Remarks

President Cowgill and Commissioners,

I appreciate the opportunity to provide an update on park refuge spaces and temporary encampments for people currently experiencing homelessness. As we have done since mid-June, I and other staff will provide information on a variety of topics, with updates tonight on crime and safety, the permit process, public comments, an overview of current encampments, and a financial update related to encampments.

Staff continue to work diligently to implement Resolution 2020-267 which was unanimously approved by the Board in mid-July, including reducing the number of parks with temporary encampments to no more than 20, limiting the number of tents per encampment to no more than 25, getting encampments permitted, and addressing those encampments that have documented crime and safety issues.

As of yesterday, there are 34 parks with temporary encampments – down from 44 last Thursday – and 12 of the 34 parks have only one to three tents.

For the past two months, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has committed significant resources to respond to temporary encampments in a humane and dignified manner. We have provided maintenance and hygiene station support, outreach and engagement, and assistance with the encampment permit process. When an encampment has needed to be removed due to crime, its location within a safe school zone, or because it is not one of the permitted or designated sites, we have provided days of notice and on-site outreach and engagement so those living in park encampments are well aware of why they need to leave and what options are available to them. The use of law enforcement has always been a last option.

This is challenging work, both emotionally and physically, for all involved. It is really disappointing that protestors who say they are opposed to how people are being removed from parks focus their efforts on disrupting our work and spreading misinformation rather than on actually helping people move from the site after a notice is served. If there was a greater level of assistance to those who need it most, there would be no need to use law enforcement to clear an encampment. I was on site at all three parks that were cleared last week due to ongoing crime and the location of two of the encampments in safe school zones. In all instances, our staff assisted in helping people on-site gather and move their belongings. I was particularly disturbed by what I witnessed at the Powderhorn west encampment. People were living in unhealthy, alarming conditions at the encampment. I am deeply concerned that the organizers of the encampment let it get to that point and that they wanted to perpetuate such terrible conditions for the black, brown and white bodied people living there.

The protestor’s narrative that there was undue force and that we used mace on innocent protestors is simply not true.  After two weeks of notice to leave, daily onsite engagement and offers of transportation, there were approximately 35 tents remaining at the west encampment last Friday. After we arrived on site, people were given several hours to pack up their belongings and staff assisted them. Some of the tents were abandoned and those tents were removed. Shortly after we arrived, two people were arrested for crossing the police tape and obstructing the process, otherwise the disbandment operation was peaceful – until protestors showed up. Then, at the very end, once the encampment was completely cleared and unsheltered people and their belongings were gone, the protestors attacked park police officers as they were trying to leave the park. Attacking, swarming, grabbing at our officer’s equipment, reaching into squad cars and blocking the path of officers is unacceptable. And again, if the dozens of people who showed up to protest and to cause chaos had been there during the prior two weeks to assist people in moving, we would not have had to use law enforcement at all.

Having witnessed these events, I know our Park Police officers responded professionally and demonstrated admirable restraint. They did not create the issue of encampments within parks, but they are working hard to restore parks to their intended use and ensure safety for those who use them.

As park staff continue to work toward getting permits for temporary encampments issued, we will also be working with Hennepin County to expand messaging about the availability of shelter spaces. Shelter is available daily for families through the Hennepin County Shelter Team and for single adults through Adult Shelter Connect. There is no limit to family shelter capacity and there were recently dozens of private rooms available. According to Hennepin County, there are also openings in single adult shelter each day and there have been dozens of beds that have gone unused each night during the month of July.

Hennepin County also reports there are more than 100 openings each month for homeless designated housing programs – which are primarily rental subsidies and support services for people experiencing homelessness, and are allocated on the basis of veteran status, disability, vulnerability and length of time homeless.

Hennepin County outreach staff have been at encampments on a regular basis to share this information. Park outreach staff have been in the parks daily, talking to people living in parks about the permit process and informing people they will not be able to stay at non-permitted and non-designated sites. Park outreach staff recently began distributing a resource guide from Hennepin County to help spread the word about shelter spaces and housing programs available.

Despite all of our efforts, we have always acknowledged that the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is not the agency to serve unsheltered people and that living in parks is not a dignified form of shelter.   While I have been expressing MPRB needs during routine conversations with our city, county and state partners and through participation in meetings with the MN Interagency Council on Homelessness, today I sent a letter to city and county officials to make a formal request for assistance and support in areas of housing, health and human services, and water and sanitation support.

Superintendent Bangoura