Update : An Indiana Senate committee on Thursday removed language to criminalize homelessness from Senate Bill 197 because it lacked relevance to the rest of the bill. But legislators could still add such language to another bill this session.
Tom Rock and Raymond Ferguson, two men in their 50s who have spent months living in tents near the incessant roar of Interstates 65 and 70 in Fountain Square, say they appreciate how Indianapolis police are dealing with them and nearly a dozen others living at the encampment.
In accordance with city code that lays out protections for people who are homeless, police likely won’t shut down the Leonard Street camp as long as residents stay out of busy right-of-ways and keep the area free of waste and other safety hazards. City law also requires police to give residents 15 days’ advance notice before closing their camp…