"It's not just an eyesore it's a danger: frustrations mounting around Little Rock homeless encampment behind summer camp

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Frustration is growing for a Little Rock summer camp owner after he says a homeless encampment has been growing in Rock Creek Trail behind his business.

It's an issue officials with the city of Little Rock said they're working to fix after reports came in, but they say it will take time since the trail has been closed after debris from the March 31 tornado.

Nathan Kirby is the owner of Rock City MMA where they have Inspire Kids Summer Camp, he said they have been in business for 10 years and he has never seen anything like this before.

“It's (homeless encampment) not just an eyesore, it's a danger,” Kirby said. "The homeless encampment started about 2 to 3 weeks ago and started to build up to the point where it was daily throughout the day, lots of foot traffic.”

He also said he doesn’t feel like his students are safe because of what he says he has seen in the encampment.

“Needles, drugs, condoms, broken prescription bottles and razors,” Kirby stated.

The city's Parks and Recreation Director Leland Couch said the trail has been closed - because of damage from the March 31 tornado.

“Without staff having the ability to go out and access the trail with their vehicles, the homeless have had an opportunity to move in and build an encampment,” Couch said.

He said it’s a problem they have seen before.

“It was an issue back in December and we had a big effort to get out and clean up the park and then again in the spring before the tornado,” Couch stated.

Couch said the difference this time around is how challenging it is to clean up the trail with the amount of debris from the storm.

“It’s just challenging because what used to take 15 minutes to go down the trail now takes upward to 3 hours,” Couch said.

Couch said they're working to fix the issue as reports come in.

“We’re in that effort right now typically these are a 1 to 2 day clean up, this will be a week,” Couch said.

Kirby says hearing that they are working on the issue is a surprise to him, because he says he has reached out to the city multiple times but hasn’t heard back.

However, he also said that he is glad something is being done and hopes the issue is resolved soon.

“This has taken away from our summer camp because it has become such a nuisance and a threat,” Kirby said.

Couch adds that the city is finalizing an agreement with a federal group which would provide them with a grant to further clean up the trail. He says if anyone has any issues or problems with the parks or trails, they can make a report with him.

from KARK https://ift.tt/I1pD0iu