This week, the Texas Department of Transportation was tasked with cleaning 17 Austin homeless camps on state-owned right-of-ways. Crews were accompanied by Department of Public Safety troopers, but according to the Austin Police Department, there were no reports of any problems.
“The report that I’ve received so far is that the homeless individuals that were taking residence living under those bridges all voluntarily left when requested by the Department of Public Safety,” said APD Chief Brian Manley.
Manley told the Public Safety Commission on Monday that there were no altercations or arrests made. DPS troopers were not only on-hand to assist TxDOT, but also offer support to the homeless in the event they were in need. But Manley said that didn’t appear to be necessary.
“They took the approach of also offering services to those experiencing homelessness that were under these bridges, and there were no requests made from the reports that we had,” Manley said.
Mayor Steve Adler has pushed back hard against Governor Greg Abbott’s claims of a rise in used needles and human waste on Austin streets since the camping ban was relaxed. But that’s exactly what cleaning crews say they found at numerous camps. Multiple needles were found scattered on the ground underneath Highway 71 and Westgate. Some camps are also said to be infested with rats.
With the cleanings complete for the week, Manley said officers in no way will try to prevent people from returning to those campsites.
Activist groups such as ‘Homes Not Handcuffs’ has been very critical of the state’s efforts. The group’s Chris Harris, who also sits on the Public Safety Commission, called Monday’s cleanings “pointless cruelty.”
