Police, parks and rec address homeless population in Columbia park

At this week’s town hall meetings with the Columbia Police Department, some residents asked officers what’s being done about the homeless community at Flat Branch Park.

One resident at Thursday night’s meeting at Shepard Boulevard Elementary told police she doesn’t like to take her grandchildren there anymore because of it.

Lt. Eric Hughes said at the meeting Thursday night there’s legally nothing officers can do unless a law is broken.

“It’s not just a park problem or a police problem. It’s something the entire community needs to address, because if we kick them out of the park, they’re going to be a problem somewhere else,” said Michael Griggs, director of Columbia Parks and Recreation.

Griggs said the department is aware of the people staying in the park, but like the police, park rangers can’t make them leave unless they’re violating a park rule.

“Most of the time we escort them from the parks when they are caught littering, drinking alcohol in alcohol-restricted areas, vandalizing park property, or conducting aggressive panhandling activities,” he said.

Griggs said rather than arrest them, park rangers try to direct them to services to help get them off the streets.

According to the Governor’s Committee to End Homelessness, there were 441 homeless people in mid-Missouri as of January 2016. 79 percent of that population were living in shelters or transitional house, while the rest lived on the street, in a car, park or playground. The total homeless population was the lowest number in the region since 2011.