Police Prepare to Evacuate the Pines

Anna Wildman

Staff Writer

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Recently, the law enforcement of Traverse City announced that a popular homeless encampment locally known as the Pines, is going to be evacuated of all its residents through the enforcement of anti-camping ordinances. This decision has raised a lot of concern from both the residents of the Pines and local activists. 

 

A public community meeting was held in the Veteran’s Memorial Park on Oct. 29 to discuss the issue and address the concerns of citizens. City police chief Matt Richmond spoke about why and how local law enforcement plans to remove the campers, “Basically it’s a humanitarian issue. The Pines is not a place that we should have people living. The conditions back there are not the best, and we want better for our citizens.” The Pines area is frequently reported for criminal activity, sanitation issues, and fires, raising concern from citizens and police officers in Traverse City. 

 

Richmond claimed that law enforcement will help the residents of the pines relocate, and the removal will happen gradually. “I cannot tell you when we’re gonna start enforcing it, but I will tell you that it will not be tomorrow, and you will have numerous warnings, [and] notices that we will be enforcing it. We will do everything we can to try and help you transition to either Safe Harbor or other housing or other combinations that will help your situation.” 

 

Safe Harbor is the only long-term overnight homeless shelter in Traverse City, and capacity is limited. There are only about 20 beds left at the shelter, which is not enough for everyone in the pines. Even if it was, Safe Harbor is not considered a desirable alternative to most of the Pines residents for multiple reasons. Firstly, the shelter is not open year-round, meaning it is only a temporary solution to homelessness, but most importantly, the shelter limits its residents on the amount of belongings they can have. 

 

An anonymous speaker from the crowd expressed that “Safe harbor gives you this storage bin that's … supposed to fit everything you have, whereas if you stay in the pines, you can keep your belongings and your tent with you and not lose everything you own on this Earth.” 

 

Many residents are also concerned about the fact that there is no clear deadline for when the ordinance will be enforced, as Chief Richmond expressed, so there’s no way of knowing how much time the Pines residents will have to relocate. Richmond explained that how law enforcement will go about removing residents will depend on the situation,  “Just because we’re enforcing it doesn’t mean you’re gonna get a ticket or gonna get arrested. We have a lot of discretion within our profession and I don’t ever wanna take that away from my officers.”

 

On Nov. 20, NMC is partnering with Central United Methodist church to host a Walk for Health & Housing, an event designed to raise awareness about the housing crisis in Traverse City and educate locals about how they can help. Those who want to help mitigate homelessness can get involved by attending the event and participating in volunteering opportunities. Concerned citizens can also email city commissioners if they disagree with the way the removal is being handled.