City to county: Step up homeless enforcement

MOUNT CLEMENS — City commissioners approved a new law enforcement services contract with the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office at their Sept. 16 meeting, while officials and residents had much to say about the laws they want to see enforced going forward.

Residents and city commissioners alike expressed dissatisfaction about how the county had been approaching a perceived recent influx of homeless people within the city. While Mount Clemens is no stranger to having homeless residents, some have lately been accused of being disorderly and aggressive.

“This group is pretty rough,” Mount Clemens Downtown Development Authority coordinator Michelle Weiss said. “They’re smoking pot openly. They are doing crack. They are drinking openly, and (the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office) can’t take them and arrest them unless they are doing something wrong. I feel almost bad for the sheriff’s department because their hands are somewhat tied.”

Other actions attributed to the homeless include the alleged theft of Weiss’ cart, fighting, urinating on windows and generally creating a hostile atmosphere downtown.

Some said certain homeless people seem to be increasingly avoiding resources and shelters within the city, preferring to remain on the streets.

“I’ve been in (Mount Clemens) for 28 years this past August and I have never had to look over my shoulder,” Mount Clemens resident Charles Smith said. “I fear for my wife coming in and out of our home. I’m finding myself looking over my shoulder and it’s really becoming a problem. I’ve gotten to know a lot of the homeless that have been (downtown) for a while; (I’ve) never had any problems. They’re nice. We help them out whenever we can. This new group, I don’t know where they came from. It’s no good.”

Mount Clemens Mayor Laura Kropp was less than pleased with how the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office had been dealing with the issue prior to the Sept. 16 meeting.

“We had a work session with the sheriff already and one of the specific complaints that we had was that their substation literally looks at the bridge that we have had to spend $5,000 to $6,000 for the last two to three years, repeatedly, because we have hazmat situations going on because there are homeless people living underneath the bridge that they can see from their substation, and it has never been dealt with,” Kropp said. “I’ve told them, basically that fact, that until they can get things under control, don’t ask us for more. … I have nothing against the deputies, they’re fine men and women, but I am not happy with the service we are getting currently and specifically because of this homeless issue that we have had sit-down meetings and tried to address, tried to come up with solutions, tried to ask for their input in how it can be dealt with, told them to arrest them when they’re breaking the law. All the things (public commenters) have mentioned — smoking pot in public? Against the law. Drunk and disorderly? Against the law. Aggressive to people? Against the law. I am only asking them to uphold our ordinances and the law. It’s all we’re asking.

“We want to be kind to everyone but if you’re going to make this place unsafe, you’re not welcome here,” Kropp said.

With the city agreeing to pay the county $3.8 million to $4 million a year from 2025-27 for the sheriff’s law enforcement services, commissioners hashed out possible ways of pressing the issue with the county government. Kropp recommended the City Commission go before the Macomb County Board of Commissioners when the sheriff’s office’s upcoming budget is presented for approval to voice their concerns. Other approaches discussed included speaking with District 8 County Commissioner Antoinette Wallace about the issue, as well as speaking with Face Addiction Now about how they may be able to aid the situation.

Commissioners urged residents to call 911 when they noticed people committing illegal acts. City Manager Gregg Shipman mentioned the new substation commander is requiring deputies to make patrols within the downtown area.

While commissioners expressed their overall issues with some among the current group of homeless people in the city, effort was taken to distance their actions from those of the city’s already established homeless residents. There was no desire expressed to make being homeless a criminal offense within Mount Clemens.

“Our community is specifically not in the business of criminalizing homelessness,” City Commissioner Spencer Calhoun said. “I was homeless. I came to Mount Clemens and thankfully I was housed in Family Youth Interventions so I didn’t have to be on the street here in Mount Clemens, but I just want to be so clear that we are not trying to criminalize homelessness. We want to make sure that there are more resources for people out there who need them. At the same time, we need to make sure that people downtown across the city are safe. We have to balance those.”

 

Parking study
Commissioners hired engineering firm Fishbeck to perform a study of the city’s parking situation for around $46,600. The study will look into the current conditions and future needs of the existing parking system, which has struggled to be self-sufficient with respect to revenue.

“The parking fund has run in a deficit several times in its history,” Shipman said. “The fund will continue to suffer shortfalls if changes are not implemented. Those shortfalls would be subsidized by the general fund, which is something the city should avoid if possible.”

The study is expected to take six months to complete. A survey will be part of the study, which will be available online with physical copies in city hall.