MINNEAPOLIS — How to deal with homeless encampments is a question the City of Minneapolis has been grappling with for years. But just three months after declaring a special order to proactively address encampment safety concerns, Police Chief Brian O’Hara and Mayor Jacob Frey say a drastic step has been taken in the right direction.
“We were seeing homeless encampments as large as 150 to 200 people,” Mayor Frey says. “Right now we have zero significant encampments in the city, and the largest one we’re aware of is four people.”
Chief O’Hara says there were 15 homicides at encampments last year, drug use was running rampant, and change had to be made…