Homeless Taskforce Update #6 (10/17)

There was no Homeless Task Force meeting last Monday as it was a Federal Holiday, Indigenous People’s Day. The Task Force will meet again on October 23, 2023 with several new focus areas of;

Harm Reduction
York Countywide SUD Coordination
Opening of Shelter and Resource Hub – Lafayette School

Activity on Heritage Drive:

There continue to be concerns with the concentration of Homelessness and vagrancy along Heritage Drive impacting residences and businesses.

On September 28, 2023 at 4:30AM The Sanford Police Dept. responded to a report of a stabbing and gunshots near the intersection of Emery St. and Heritage Crossing. Officers arrived to find William Southworth (DOB: 03/04/85) age 38 (unhoused individual) had been stabbed multiple times in the back. In speaking with witnesses two males had approached Mr. Southworth stole his bicycle and a physical confrontation occurred where 3-4 gunshots were fired by one of the male assailants and Mr. Southworth was stabbed by the other. Mr. Southworth was transported by Sanford Fire/Rescue to Maine Medical Center where he is listed in stable condition. By 5:38 p.m. on September 28, 2023 The Sanford Police Dept. arrested Derrick Roberts-Poulin age 21, DOB 07/29/02 of Sanford, and Jordan Roberge age 21, DOB 05/03/02 of Sanford. Both suspects were charged with Robbery and Elevated Aggravated Assault in the non-fatal stabbing of William Southworth. Sanford Police’s Criminal Investigation Division worked through the day piecing the case together, drafted search warrants, and in coordination with the Patrol Division and York County Special Response Team, executed the search warrant at 907 Main St. Evidence was collected at that location as part of the investigation. Derrick and Jordan were interviewed and arrested at the Sanford Police Dept. This case also highlights the vulnerability of the unhoused population that resided in Sanford to which a vulnerable person was ultimately a victim.

This Incident prompted calls from Business and Residents in the area. A response was provided as;

Your concerns and the concerns of the business owners/operators at 61 Mill Street certainly are legitimate and have been recognized by the City. The time and resources spent on addressing the Homeless Crisis and associated impacts within Sanford has been extensive. To that end, they are not resolved and we struggle daily to balance property owner rights, public safety AND humanitarian response to people unhoused and unable to self-resolve their situation.

I recognize the most recent Report of crime on Heritage Drive elevated concerns that continue to linger in that area of the City. Police records indicate reports of homeless activity around 61 Washington as 1 in May, 2 in June, 1 in July, and 2 in September. When Rand and Co. brought concerns to the City Council on July 18, 2023 the concerns were addressed the following day. The MAP Needle Exchange Program was discontinued (and has not been reopened), the Heritage Street parking Lot was cleared, deforested, barricaded, and has been continuously monitored. Those efforts were seen as successful until the recent Event.

The recent Event was perpetrated by two young adults, not homeless, against a homeless person riding a bike near the intersection of Heritage Drive and Emery Street, not the entrance to the Sanford Mill. The two perps were located, arrested, and charged within 12 hours of the event. The crime was not committed by “the homeless” but was an act of aggression against them, a trend in society as of late. The Act has now erased the positive work that continues Citywide from the public impressions.

Actions being take around 61 Washington and the entire City:

The Police Department has a dedicated four-person Mental Health Unit (MHU) within the Police Department consisting of 2 Officers and 2 clinicians focused on addressing the cause, symptoms, and any crimes associated with homelessness and individuals. The City’s Homeless Task Force, City Departments and the coordination of All Area Providers, meets bi-weekly to support and amplify the work of the MHU. The Task Force is focused on law enforcement, addressing the needs of the homeless, and partnering with Agencies for placement into services and housing.

The City is further engaged in addressing the Blight that abuts 61 Washington Street, predominantly the Regco or Fratti International Woolen Mill Property. The City has placed a dangerous and hazardous declaration on the Property with a demand for a remediation plan. The City has used the order to remove the former smoke stack at City expense and is in recovery for the costs. Court actions are pending against the closed Corporation that provides a corporate veil of no assets and sparse abilities to effect communications and legal actions.

The City will take the Boiler House Property by condemnation, first action on 10/3/2023, with plans for a $5.0 million remediation of said property and a new 67 car parking area. This is a first, expensive, step towards the ultimate remediation of the International Woolen Mill Property. The City is committed to addressing the Blight and continues to demonstrate that commitment. Time and expediency will never be to the level desired or needed as it far exceeds our City’s fiscal capacity. But again, we are moving as prudently as possible to address.

The Private Property where a number of Homeless people are staying is also being addressed as we are seeking a renewed permission to charge for Criminal Trespass from the corporate veil earlier referenced. This will again move the population and similar impacts will present in a new location to be addressed by the MHU.

As unfortunate and aggravating as the Report of last Thursday was, it remains an isolated and infrequent event in our City. It was not a crime committed by a “homeless” person, but against a person who is unhoused. Sanford’s crime rate is no higher nor does it have a more concentrated crime rate committed by or against homeless persons.

In summary, the concerns expressed by you as Property Owner and those expressed by Businesses are legitimate and are a focal point for our City, Police, and MHU. We will continue to address with both short- and long-term actions to prevent the impacts that unhoused people have against private and public property. We can’t arrest our way out of this as the legal system does not allow. We are fighting a societal change, institutional capacity crisis, and a battle over Substance use Disorder (SUD) that continues to escalate.

Please know that your concerns are heard and are being addressed. Our City values your investment as we continue to invest in our City as described.

A Trespass Order is sought from the legal Representative of Regco and Mario Fratti as not resolving the state of the Property. Chief Anderson and Sergeant Adams are working this matter.

The MHU worked with the People in the Heritage Drive (Regco Property) area adjacent to the Mousam River to clean up their area. Trash was brought to the curbside and will be picked up by a local hauler.

Several arrests have been made in the immediate area with limited results. It continues to be difficult for the York County DA office to prosecute for drug possession, trespass, vagrancy, or other associated crimes for people identifying as homeless. The York County Jail is reporting as being at capacity as are other mental health and SUD facilities.

As these recent activities are addressing impacts to business and residents in the immediate area of heritage Drive, know that such impacts will translocate to new and other areas of the City as this area becomes less of an attractive nuisance.

Encampments: There has been much activity in our City and especially in Portland/South Portland around Homeless Encampments as a temporary measure. Attached to this Report are two resources.

First is the most pertinent report, “7 Principles for Addressing Encampments” composed by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. It should be noted that the City of Sanford has already adopted and implemented a majority of these suggested responses.

Second is a Resource Guide with Links to various Articles on Homelessness and especially around Encampments, use this link Homelessness and Encampments.

In reviewing all of these materials which discuss the impacts to the unhoused caused by encampments and the drain on Community Resources, the ending conclusions are;

There is no substitute for structure sheltering or housing.
Encampments ARE NOT a viable short-term solution for the unhoused.
The Task Force meetings again on October 23, 2023 and will be further working on these concepts as the City seeks to address the matter of Homelessness within our Community.