DES MOINES, Iowa — Multiple people have been removed from a homeless encampment on the north side of Des Moines and one witness claims they were wrongly removed.
Under city policy, if there's a safety or sanitation complaint about a homeless encampment, the city must post a notice to vacate the premises 10 days before the camp is torn down.
On Tuesday, homeless advocate Jake Grobe captured a video of the city's public works tearing down the camp at Riverview Park, which has received tens of thousands of views on X.
"What I saw was campers kind of frantically grabbing their stuff that they needed, and trying to move out of there as quickly as possible," Grobe told Local 5 News.
City officials said it posted its initial notice Nov. 1, which was more time than current city code requires.
The site of the camp has been almost entirely cleared out as of Wednesday.
Earlier this year, the city passed two ordinances. One making camping on public property, like sidewalks and parks, illegal, and said anyone found in violation and not in compliance will face a $15 fine and a police officer will transport them to a homeless shelter. It also allows the city to remove an encampment after three days notice instead of 10.
The ordinance was passed because the city said it wants to maintain "safety for its neighbors."
Moving forward, Grobe just wants the best for people experiencing homelessness in the city.
"Everyone deserves a warm place to live and a safe place to live, and that's what everybody wants," he said.
The Des Moines City Council also ordered the city manager earlier this year to create an agreement with an animal shelter to store homeless people’s pets and adding public restrooms at parking garages.
The city's new ordinance on homelessness is not yet in effect, and we are waiting to hear word on when Des Moines will start enforcing it.