Neighbors found a burned grill beside the 1400 Plaza stage Wednesday morning in New Castle Staff photo by Travis Welk
There are somewhere between 30 and 35 people living unhoused in and around New Castle.
New Castle police received a called Sept. 19 regarding numerous people living in the woods near Garner and Watkins streets.
Police chief Matt Schofield told the city council in early August he was aware of several people living near the train tracks between Indiana and Grand avenues.
At the same August council meeting, New Castle Mayor Greg York said he’d been called about someone bathing in the fountain at 1400 Plaza.
The city received calls Wednesday morning of overnight activity at the Plaza that may be linked to homeless individuals.
Downtown business employees noticed litter around the 1400 Plaza stage. A small grill had been set up near the stage and there was a stack of cut branches nearby. The concrete stage had scorch marks. Plastic bags coated with sauce were on the ground, next to a trash toter.
In 2022, the New Castle City Council ordered 1400 Plaza to close to the public at midnight. The ordinance also prohibits anyone from sleeping at the public plaza.
Loitering laws and fines do not appear to have the desired effect.
“Every day, on a daily basis, homeless people take a nap on the Plaza stage and plug in their phones there,” York said.
The mayor said the city and local charities are looking for ways to help people who are living outdoors in New Castle.
When city police receive a call about trespassing or loitering, they often try to take the individual to the Christian Love Help Center or The Guest House Men’s Shelter, instead of taking the person to jail.
The Christian Love Center offers shelter, hot meals and clothes. The Guest House offers shelter, food and help finding a job.
“We’ve tried everything,” York said.
According to the mayor, some people walk out the shelter doors before their paperwork is even filled out.
“We’ve tried to help what homeless people we have, all of them,” York told The Courier-Times. “It’s not like we’re trying to run them off. We’re trying to get them the help.”
Community volunteer Jeff Coatie, who has experience working with people in poverty and living outdoors, told the city council in August that many homeless situations are tied to mental illness and addiction.
“Those are powerful problems,” Coatie said. “If they don’t want help, you can’t get them help. And a lot of them don’t want help.”
York echoed that sentiment this week.
“We try to reach out to them every way we can. But they choose this,” he said.
Chief Schofield said the same thing in August, calling local homelessness a complex situation.
“I don’t have an answer,” Schofield said. “We are doing all we can. One of the most frustrating parts of the job is trying to help these people and they don’t want it.”
The police department’s concern is about the safety of all New Castle residents, regardless of where or how they live.
Over the winter, police found a woman living outdoors, nearly frozen to death. York said the woman was taken to the hospital to recover and then to the Christian Love shelter.
According to York, the woman chose to leave the shelter.
York mentioned a couple who built a shelter near Big Blue River behind a local grocery store. Another couple was living in a van near a local church.
The mayor isn’t sure what the answer is.
“You can reach out to them with love,” he said, “but are you promoting people using the bathroom outside?”
The city locks public restrooms at night to prevent vandalism, drug usage and other illegal activity at 1400 Plaza and the city parks. Mayor York said the city has posted the rules for 1400 Plaza multiple times and the signs keep getting stolen.
York said the city plans to install more security cameras at 1400 Plaza and at Baker and Osborne parks. They also plan to install more cameras at the city cemetery.
“That’s all in the works,” he said.
All city parks and the cemetery are closed to the public from dusk until dawn.
York encouraged city residents to call the non-emergency police number at 765-529-4890 if they see someone trespassing on city property after hours or if they see someone has a campfire going on city property. 9-1-1 should only be used during true emergency situations.
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