El Paso County — Two sets of large roll-off bins are located at several locations along the creek on the edge of downtown Colorado Springs.
It’s a signal that the remnants of the homeless camp are nearby.
Mitch Hammes, Colorado Springs Regional Services Manager, said:
A 13-person crew from Colorado Springs Neighborhood Services cleans the camp weekly.
“These 13 people had already collected over a million pounds of garbage from the city by September 1,” said Hams.
“I don’t know where they got all this stuff. I don’t know. If it’s donated to them, if it’s taken from somewhere, we’ll figure it out.” I can not do it.
Cunningham has worked with homeless camps in and around Colorado Springs for nearly 30 years.
“Twenty-eight years ago, there was a culture on the trail that we called cowboy camping.
She has seen cultures and influences change and expand. What used to be most of downtown along the waterway now cuts across Colorado Springs and out of the county.
“Anytime you go down the trail, you might see a camper popping up or a car with people living in it. say.
Fire chiefs across El Paso County recently reported that they have had to deal with more than 300 fires at homeless camps so far this year.
Crew members who work around the camp each week often put out abandoned fires, so they say it could be more.
“There are fires that get out of hand every day,” said Cunningham. they hesitated. ”
The cleanup crew is persistent. While working, I refer people I meet at the camp to local aid agencies.
“By posting camps as soon as they are reported, or as soon as you find them, you’ll find that they’re kept small and the amount of trash at each location isn’t as bad as if you ignored or found it. We leave the area alone for three or four weeks,” Hammes said.
Although labeled as a cleanup, the effort also helps prevent homeless camps from continuing to grow.
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