In response to panhandling and loitering complaints from residents and businesses in Madison, Metro Police searched four homeless camps today.
Police along with representatives from Metro Social Services combed through specific creek beds and railways known to be popular with the homeless in the area.
They only came across four people, including two who agreed to visit Centerstone, a mental heath assessment center. Officers say besides offering social services, they were establishing visibility, explaining trespassing law, and researching local crime cases in the North precinct’s largest operation of its kind.
Councilman Michael Craddock represents downtown Madison. He says the Police Department has not done enough and says he wants to see more checks.
“You know, a lot of these people need help and want help and we should offer that help, but then a lot of these people have chosen this as a lifestyle and they’re absolutely terrorizing the businesses and the business customers in Madison and that’s unacceptable to me, we’ve got to do something about it.”
President of the Nashville Homeless Power Project, John Zirker, says he’s glad Social Services was involved today, but says just moving the homeless population around is putting a “Band-Aid” on a larger community problem.
“Where you herding them to? Where do homeless people go? It’s not that I’m putting a judgment on their actions, but what was their action, you know, what were their intentions? Were they trying to cover up an eye sore? Were they just trying to get it out of their front door or their back yard?”
One homeless man was evicted from the railroad tracks near Gallatin Road. Before leaving with Social Services, he waved a pair of leather thick-soled boots toward the crowd of officials and media saying he works as well.
Metro police say they indend to search more sites in the future.
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