Spokane County’s Sheriff is now ready to flex his power and disband Camp Hope.
Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich wants to do it in a matter of weeks. He says the clock is ticking and the state’s timeline and approach to clearing out the camp just won’t work.
He won’t give specifics but says he is not concerned about creating more housing. Knezovich says the county offers plenty of resources and now it is time for the people who live there to find another way.
"It is my responsiblity to clean it up," he said. "The clock is continuing to tick."
Knezovich referred to Camp Hope as a protest that has been going on for nine months. Come mid-October, he says he will cite people for “unlawful assembly” and arrest them if they do not leave.
"It does not meet the criteria that no one goes to jail, sorry," he said. "There are some bad people out there that that's just where they go. That's what needs to happen."
He also said he will offer them bus tickets and is working with County Commissioners to send them to a location of their choice.
Knezovich says the State Department of Transportation should have done something when the camp was just a few tents. Now, he believes it is his duty to take action.
Local prosecutors are now starting a warrant of abatement, which will be finished within 20 days. At that time, the Sheriff says he will call in whatever resources are needed to clear the lot.
“This is a drug-fueled protest of people who want no barriers, and they want to do whatever they want,” Knezovich claimed. “This protest is about to end.”
His new plan comes at the same time outreach providers want to create a fence around the site as they work to restore IDs and create more barriers. Homeless agencies are already doing outreach at the camp and trying to create more stability as they use $24 million from the state to move people somewhere safer.
"We know that it's going to take some time to be able to really address all their needs, so we want to stabilize what's there in a way that creates additional safety and security," said Zeke Smith. He's the president of Empire Health Foundation. His organization was tasked with doing assessments and connecting with people living at the camp.
"Apparently, they're going to build a fence around it -- out of sight out of mind," Knezovich said. "You going to put curtains on the fence, too?"
The Sheriff admits he has never been to Camp Hope and does not usually visit “crime-ridden” areas of the community.
Knezovich also said a wide-scale fraud investigation is now underway into the Department of Commerce, Jewels Helping Hands and others who get funding to run the camp.
He refused to provide details on the allegations.
4 News Now spoke to Commerce Director Lisa Brown and she made it clear she would not spend much time addressing the Sheriff’s comments.
"Making it personal isn't going to help us get this job done," said Brown. "I'll say that."
She instead focused on her plan to assist each person living within the encampment.
"Responding to those individual circumstances is part of the key to long-term success."
She visited Camp Hope on Thursday night to speak with those living there.
Brown briefly mentioned Knezovich’s plan to buy bus tickets, saying “The idea that that works for everybody is obviously part of the problem here. The money that we've received is supposed to focus on housing solutions.”
She later mentioned that 75 percent of the people at Camp Hope are from the immediate area, and that assisting individuals in getting bus tickets to a city where there is family and emotional support is already a service available for the homeless.
"If they find that that individual has family and support in another location, they do help them get to that location. That is part of our process, if it is appropriate and there is that support there."
Brown said people are the plan to transition people out of the camp is already underway. Thirty people who were once living there have fully transitioned to living in the new Trent Shelter.
►Subscribe: [ Ссылка ]
►Website: [ Ссылка ]
►Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
►Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
