‘I would just hate somebody to end up dead’: Sprague businesses claim crime uptick due to homeless encampment
Woodshed Bar & Grill is across the street from the encampment and says they've noticed an uptick in crime lately.
SPOKANE, Wash- The homeless encampment near I-90, also known as Camp Hope 2.0 in east Spokane is growing and business owners and people in the area say they’re concerned.
Just last month, the Washington State Department of Transportation had plans to have the people at the encampment vacate. However, WSDOT East temporarily changed its mind.
Woodshed Bar & Grill is across the street from the encampment and says they’ve noticed an uptick in crime lately. Manager, Haley Wilson, believes it directly stems from the homeless encampment.
“There was a guy that got hit with a bottle. It was on the back patio, and after the guy hit him he jumped over the fence and left,” said Wilson. “Last weekend, there was an incident where the police were called and reported there was a man in the parking lot bleeding from the head.”
Wilson also claims there was a call to police about a shooting, however when they arrived they didn’t find a gun but took a man who was bleeding to the hospital.
“I would just hate somebody to end up dead and I mean I think it’s a high possibility, which is sad,” said Wilson.
Wilson says the people involved aren’t regulars at the bar.
“We kind of have a tough crowd here. People, our regulars, like this place so they’re still going to come in, but they’re talking about it, and you know not really in a good way,” she said.
Closer to the encampment there are busted windows out of cars. The Libby Center, a specialized school is just two blocks away from the homeless encampment.
“I have seen a number of people walking past the school, and just a lot of crime, windows have been bashed out, garbage, a lot of hygiene issues,” said Libby Center parent Mindy Wandler.
Wandler says she brought the issue up to the school’s principal in an email.
“She assured me that all doors are locked. It’s a secure campus and that the kids are safe,” she said.
We reached out to WSDOT and a spokesperson says they have no update on when they’ll vacate the homeless encampment.
READ: WSDOT East decides to not remove homeless encampment near I-90
READ: Man found dead at homeless encampment near I-90
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