This was one of the photos the Linn County Sheriff’s Office sent with its press release on Monday’s operation at Simpson Park.
Monday’s operation to expel unauthorized campers from Albany’s Simpson Park has been widely covered on social media and the local paper. But the press release from Sheriff Michelle Duncan contained noteworthy details.
I wasn’t there, but the sheriff reported a number of points I thought were of more than passing interest. Among them:
“The property, located in Millersburg, outside the city limits of Albany, recently transitioned from an Albany Police Department jurisdictional response to the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.
“There have been numerous crimes, including assaults, out of control fires, stolen property, and drug activity involving those illegally camped at the property. … In February, deputies investigated an incident of a male who suffered significant burns. The male later admitted he had overdosed on fentanyl and fell into his own campfire…”
The sheriff then outlined the steps that were taken over several weeks to prepare for the expulsion of people squatting in the park, which is outside and north of the Talking Water Gardens.
Deputies, Albany city police community service officers, and others walked through the area on May 12. They found many makeshift structures including one of two stories. They also found abandoned vehicles and boats, solar-powered surveillance cameras, fenced compounds with animals, Traeger-style grills, uncounted bikes and bike parts, power tools, and a piano.
They also reported many cut-down trees and bushes, human waste throughout, and large piles of household garbage and debris. Discarded, uncapped hypodermic needles were on the ground. Several campfires were burning.
“Deputies contacted 32 people illegally camping on the property. Employees from C.H.A.N.C.E. accompanied deputies throughout the walk-through to connect occupants with shelter and community resources to assist in their transition of being removed from the property in the weeks ahead. Multiple people at the location provided statements that they know people who have burglarized rail cars and boxcars that stop overnight along the property, including stealing lumber off the rail cars. In addition, other items are said to be stolen from neighboring properties in order to meet their needs. Deputies made seven arrests on outstanding warrants, to include charges of Assault II and Unlawful Use of a Weapon.”
Deputies returned to the area on May 21 and notified people they needed to leave. Deputies arrested six people with warrants, and they recovered a trailer stolen from the Albany area.
On May 28, deputies posted the area, giving a final warning that campers needed to leave and take their belongings. Several more people were arrested on outstanding warrants.
When deputies returned on Monday, they found two more people on outstanding warrants, and the remaining campers left.
On Tuesday, June 2, a contractor will begin cleaning up the property and restoring it to its natural condition.
Left unstated in the sheriff’s press release was which contractor is doing the cleanup and restoration work, how much this is costing, and who is paying the bill.
When I find out, I’ll report it here. (hh)
What a feel good story this is to read first on morning
Disgusting details and sad people
Hasso we know who pays. No need to be coy.
In 2006 we cleaned up this area, former Camp Boondoggle. Afterwards our police department bought a Gator and patrolled the area frequently to make sure new camps did not pop up again. The area stayed cleaned for years. I do hope our PD goes back to doing frequent patrols to keep out the campers. Back then enforcing new camps eventually got the campers to work with the shelter providers or move out of town. Enabling this camping lifestyle does not solve a persons home situation or their personal challenges. Also, there is self-responsibility that needs to take place. Just because a person is homeless is no excuse for filth
2006, a city councilman in Albany, when I still lived in Corvallis, asked me to come clean out the homeless unwanted cats when the Simpson park (I called it Camp Boondoggle) homeless camps were swept. I don’t know why I agreed to it, but I did do it, climbing in and out with cats in carriers and traps over the trains. Over 3 dozen cats and kittens out of there. Homeless campers snuck back in to help me out since it was a huge job and I couldn’t find anyone else to help and they knew where the cats were.
A few years ago, before he passed on, I took my father to see Simpson Park and the E Albany waterfront to the Willamette. I thought it would be nice for him because he had grown up in “East Albany” off of 3rd St and Main and this was his old childhood watering hole. I had not been to that park in decades. I was surprised by all the encampment activity and the waste all through the park. But it was nowhere this bad at that time (about 2019). The park has only gone downhill since then, which is very sad for Albany.
Sorry readers, I had Bowman Park on my mind, not Simpson Park. But it is also true for Bowman, only (hopefully) less so than Simpson.
Thank you for this information Hasso. I did see this on Facebook last night 3 hours after it was posted. What a good job coordinating all those agencies to clean up that area and offer help to people who want it. I was stunned when I read how much stuff they had to clear out.
How many unhoused people live in Albany?
It has to be cleaned up, Hasso. Of course, the taxpayer is paying, but it is necessary.
Taxpayer is paying for Trump’s ballroom and the arch he wants to build, too. (Trump said at first that no taxpayer money would be used, but that didn’t last long.) The ballroom and the arch are not necessary. The cleaning up of this park is necessary. I have said to you before that it is not safe for an 80-ish-years old man to be riding his very nice bike very near that park all the time.
As a homeless advocate, let me say, “Good job Albany!” This particular group of homeless folks have been the recipients of harm reduction. Meaning, there’s a harm reduction outreach group that gives free needles and such to our homeless campers. I am concerned now about Takena Landing, where there are other homeless folks living. We cannot give addicts free paraphernalia and expect them to live a productive life. People need a level of accountability.
Agreed. Hopefully they don’t join the others at Takena, they are a menace to the golf course already.