Kalispell clears out transient camps at Lawrence Park

Transient camps that at one time had several dozen residents are being cleared out in and around Kalispell’s Lawrence Park.

People living for months in makeshift campsites along the Stillwater River were given a week’s notice to pack up, clean up and move along.

Kalispell Police on Aug. 19 had stapled fliers to trees around the park and the Stillwater River footbridge, warning that people living in makeshift shelters and tents in the park woods faced potential arrest for criminal trespassing Thursday.

On Thursday morning, eight Kalispell Police officers gleaned the woods for any of the temporary residents who remained.

Most had already moved out, Kalispell Police Patrol Capt. Tim Falkner said Thursday. Five people were cited for trespassing and released.

“Last week when we posted the signs, we think at least there were several dozen. Evidently our fliers worked, because we only came across five or six today,” Falkner said.

The people living in the camps left behind an “extreme amount of garbage” and human waste, Falkner said.

“We’re always dealing with transients, but I’ve never seen it this bad back here, not with camps,” Falkner said, noting that some time last spring or fall there were encampments on the west side of the U.S. 93 bypass.

Officers loaded a pickup truck with bicycles, a patio heater and child bicycle trailers — items that may possibly be stolen.

“We’re hoping we can find the rightful owner,” Falkner said.

One or two of the people living in the camps sought shelter at the Samaritan House, according to Falkner and Samaritan House Executive Director Chris Krager. Falkner said another person said he had an apartment lined up.

“At least some of them are moving forward and finding places,” Falkner said.

As for the other people who haven’t secured — or want to consider — more permanent housing or shelter, Falkner said, “We will probably find them somewhere else, hopefully not in the city.”

Krager said there is room at the Samaritan House, which serves 90 people a night. He has visited the camps and met with the people living there. Krager said he felt the camp was unusually large based on his past experience.

“I’ve been down there on both sides of the river. I offered my name, phone number, where the shelter is, what services we offer, how it operates — just making sure they know where to go and that we can help them,” Krager said.

He said transportation to the shelter can be arranged.

“Samaritan House, this is what we do. We are successful 86 percent of the time getting people into places. They are no longer homeless after they leave,” he added.

But Krager is well aware of the shortage of affordable housing in the Flathead Valley.

“It’s scarce, but we know where affordable rentals are,” Krager said noting that Samaritan House can also connect homeless people with other services such as financial assistance or help with substance abuse.

Falkner said the issue of transient camps has been ongoing for years and attempts are made to move people along, but these camps had grown sizable and so did the number of reports to police about activity in the camps, which was affecting surrounding residents.

Finally things came to a head among transients, park-goers and neighbors.

Falkner said there were reports of verbal disturbances, campfires, drinking in the park, aggressive panhandling and there were concerns about safety and sanitary conditions for everyone involved.

Falkner said if people encounter transients, “Don’t be confrontational with them. And if it’s something they feel could be a risk to people, call the police.”

But Falkner added: “Not all of these transients are bad people.”

The backgrounds of the people who lived in the camps are, like any population, a mix. There are people who are homeless due to unfortunate circumstances and people who are homeless by choice.

“Some of them are working and fallen on bad times. We’re trying to give them the benefit of the doubt,” Falkner said. “The other thing is some of them enjoy the lifestyle. Some of the camps back here we know are known fugitives to us that we’re looking for — people with felony warrants, people in the drug scene, and various other criminal activities — just on the run hiding out.

“Some people will move out by winter, be here next summer, and they may not cause people problems — they just can’t camp here. They need to find another place.”

Krager said he spoke with eight people at the camps Wednesday.

“Four of them had jobs. One of them is on disability. One lady had a pretty good substance abuse thing happening and she did not want help for that. Two of them were looking for work and Samaritan House has all of that employment information,” Krager said, noting that people can get assistance without staying at the shelter.

Falkner said police would return Saturday along with a volunteer group, the Flathead Marines, to continue cleaning up the park.

Retired Master Sgt. Tim Merklinger, a member of the Flathead Marines, said the group helped clean up Woodland Park last year as part of the organization’s outreach efforts and connected with Fred Bicha, parks superintendent for the city of Kalispell.

“This spring, he said, ‘Boy, do I have a mission for the Flathead Marines,” Merklinger said.

Merklinger described the debris left behind.

“It’s surprising how much junk they piled in there. You wouldn’t believe — space heaters, mattresses, headboards — even those tins you bake cupcakes in, lots of messed-up clothing and rugs, old bedding, pillows. It looks like a Super Walmart exploded in the treeline,” Merklinger said. “You would not believe the pile of beer cans in this one spot.”

Merklinger said he felt the Flathead Marines would be able to put a dent in some of the cleanup through rough terrain, ditches and marshy areas, but he knows it’s a job that will take more than one day — and so does Bicha.

“Saturday Flathead Marines go there and knock out what they can,” Bicha said.

Bicha said the city parks department anticipates city crews will go in sometime next week.

“There may be a need for another volunteer effort in a couple of weeks,” Bicha said.

Hilary Matheson is a reporter for The Daily Inter Lake. She may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.