City Of Tulsa Works To Secure Agreements With Railroads, State Agencies About Homeless Camps

Tulsa Police said law enforcement involving homeless people hasn’t changed, even with a new statement of political support for enforcing laws regardless of housing status.

Tulsa Police respond every day to complaints about homeless people stretched out on sidewalks, with their belongings or trash scattered around.

Michael Hedge said he’s been homeless for six months, and said police have generally been fair with him, but private security guards are less tolerant, and sometimes he and his friends are told to move along for no reason.

“When we're not doing anything wrong, just sitting here, minding our business, why do we get run off? These are public sidewalks,” said Hedge.

Law enforcement involving the homeless, police said, comes down to what's happening and where. It can change depending on whether it’s public or private property, and whether police have authorization to enforce trespassing laws without the landowner present.

Police said the rules are the same for homeless and anyone else when it comes to crime.

"This person is breaking the law. We're not picking on them because of their current living situation, but they're breaking the law,” Captain Richard Meulenberg said.

However, it can be tricky for police when people camp on the edges of private and public property. The City is working to secure more written agreements with railroads and state agencies that control areas where homeless people often camp.

“It's not because we're not enforcing the ordinances,” said Meulenberg. “When you see an encampments, with a little tent city, that's beyond our reach jurisdictionally.”

Hedge said he’s been issued a ticket for setting up a tent near an off-ramp, but because he doesn’t want to stay in a shelter, he doesn’t know what else to do.

“We're humans too,” said Hedge. “We need all the help we can get, not pushed away, not treated like trash.”