Homeless camps by Fountain Creek, Hwy 24 create issues for nearby businesses
An area along Fountain Creek and Highway 24 in West Colorado Springs is once again becoming a popular place for the homeless to camp, but it’s creating issues for businesses and the creek itself with an increase in trash and other debris.
Empty liquor bottles, used needles, and other trash is littered next to Fountain Creek between Ridge Road and 31st Street.
Many residents are upset by the trash, including George Hendricks, who lives in the area and sees why people are mad.
“I can understand them being upset, some of them are very messy,” Hendricks admits, “The only thing is these people are homeless; it’s not like they chose to be out here, they are just looking for a place to survive.”
However, it’s not just the trash that is creating issues. Businesses at Red Rock Shopping Center say they have seen homeless defecate on the sidewalks and harass customers by throwing change and other items at them.
The owner of Trails End Taproom Kevin Weese says one of his workers was threatened with a knife.
“A few nights ago, we had one of our employees have a knife brandished at her,” says Weese, “We had to call police on that so there is a lot of security risk and trash risk that concern us.”
Weese says he has a background in humanitarian efforts and tries to help the homeless when he can.
What makes the area hard for law enforcement to control is that three separate entities manage the land: Colorado Springs, El Paso County, and private owners. That means depending on where the issues are happening, only certain law enforcement can respond. It also means that the Colorado Springs ordinance of not allowing camping within 100 feet of a waterway only applies in certain parts of the area.
Lt. Bill Huffor with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office says this has been happening for a while.
“That stretch of land has been a problem for years,” Huffor said.
He says they have cleaned up the area several times before, but it seems like no matter what they do, the homeless return.
“In the last 18 months, we’ve been there at least a dozen times — from 31st [Street] to Ridge Road is a non-stop area that we get complaints.”
The Sheriff’s Office says almost all of the complaints they receive are made by passerby citizens who see the camps or by business patrons.
As far as a solution to the problem, Huffor says it’s going to take more than writing out tickets and arresting people.
