KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -
A homeless camp that was brought to the attention of police after a violent attack must be dismantled this week.
Kansas City police said several weeks ago that officers responded to a report of an assault on the hills of Mulkey Square Park. The victim had been hit in the head with a hammer. This led officers to the homeless camp and an arrest was made.
The residents of the homeless camp, which is located on city property, were told they need to leave by Wednesday or face possible arrest for trespassing. Wednesday afternoon, Capt. Steve Young said police are not going through with the eviction Wednesday.
The residents were initially given a week to leave the area, but the deadline has been extended since Hope Faith Ministries has stepped in to help the people in the camps find alternative living arrangements - they now have until Friday.
Police, the local charity, and a member of the city government visited the camp Wednesday about 3:15 p.m. and talk to the residents, urging them to leave on their own. The groups did an assessment of the situation and provided the residents with one final warning.
Sgt. James Schulte said, for the homeless, this action is about their safety.
"It's just really not designed for human habitation and, in so doing, when you have human habitation up here, you have problems with raw untreated sewage running down into the waterways.
You have problems with, as you've probably seen, extensive amounts of hazardous waste - plastic, Styrofoam, and whatnot - that end up in our waterways and along here and these folks, for the most part, do not take care of those amenities for themselves. They won't even take care of themselves in some cases," said Schulte.
Schulte expects most people to move and they'll be given some leeway if they're still in the process of moving. But, for those who refuse to go, he said they'll be arrested for trespassing.
For previous coverage on the homeless camp and what the city plans to do with it, click here.
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