Dozens of homeless people set up camp at Cal Anderson Park on Capitol Hill.
Since then, that portion of the park has become dangerous and unusable. People are living in tents, trash and used needles have collected, and the stench of human waste has, at times, become overpowering. Nearby residents and businesses have complained.
The park has also become violent.
It was the site of a brutal murder. Repeat offender Travis Berge is accused of stabbing his reported girlfriend to death before himself dying at the park, falling (or jumping) into a tank filled with bleach and water. There were fires set at the park, an assault against an officer, medical crisis calls, and threats against park workers. It’s simply not safe.