The Bloomington Police Department moved people’s tents and other personal items in the public’s right of way from Seminary Park around 2 p.m. Thursday. The right of way extends beyond the roadway and totals 100 feet, per city policy.
Encampments of people experiencing homelessness could present a safety issue if located in the public right of way, said Beverly Calender-Anderson, director of Bloomington’s Community and Family Resources Department. People can be in the park until 11 p.m., but cannot be in the right of way at any time, Calender-Anderson said.
Related: [The city still plans to dismantle the Seminary Park encampment. Officials won’t say when.]
People experiencing homelessness were notified in recent weeks that items would be removed outside of those hours and were given options for alternate housing.
People staying at the park expected it to be cleared out by police Monday night, but the city left the encampments alone. Numerous encampments and personal items remained in the park Thursday, despite signs telling people staying in the park to find alternate housing by Monday.
Encampments from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. require a permit, according to a rule that has been in place since April 2013. BPD first cleared people from the Seminary Park encampment Dec. 9 when BPD enforced the overnight park use policy after it was suspended for months due to COVID-19. Recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise encampments such as those in Seminary Park to be left intact.
Calender-Anderson said the rules could be enforced Thursday night, meaning anyone staying in the park would need to find alternate housing, but did not know definitively whether the enforcement would occur.
Homeless Coalition founder Harry Collins said that people haven't decided where they will move if the Seminary Park encampment is dismantled.
“We’re trying to get some people set up at our other encampment, but we can’t make people move,” Collins said.
BPD Capt. Ryan Pedigo declined to answer questions, but said police are not tearing down encampments. Calender-Anderson said the goal is not to “bulldoze” the park — the goal is to keep people experiencing homelessness away from freezing temperatures and reduce the spread of COVID-19.
“We are trying to treat people’s belongings with respect and dignity,” Calender-Anderson said.
In order to retrieve their personal belongings from the city, people must call 812-349-3406. The city will not hold items for more than 30 days, according to signs posted in the park.
Daniel Floyd said he has lived unhoused in Bloomington for 8 years and had never seen the homeless community cause any more problems than IU students.
Despite attempts to dismantle the encampments, Floyd said he was not backing down. He had a sign by his tent which read “Everybody’s got a right to live”.
Floyd said the people of Seminary Park were trying to live peacefully, but the City of Bloomington was threatening to remove them.
Floyd said all the people want is to own their own land. People want to buy their own land for cheap and set up their tents and portable toilets. He said they do not want housing bought for them by the city because rent in Bloomington is too expensive.
“If you want to help, let us buy our own land,” Floyd said. “It’s what we want.”
Floyd said displacement would interfere with a unique bond among the residents of the park.
“We’re a community here,” Floyd said. “If your car breaks down on the side of the road over there, we’re going to run and help you.”
