Durham police seize firearms, drugs in raid of homeless encampment. What we know
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- DPD arrested multiple people and seized firearms at Long Meadow Park.
- The park in East Durham has a homeless encampment.
- Durham police confirmed the encampment was not removed or cleared out.
A week after the city of Durham attempted to remove a homeless encampment from a downtown park, police made multiple arrests at another.
On Wednesday afternoon, Durham police carried out multiple arrests and seized drugs and weapons at Long Meadow Park on Liberty Street, according to a statement from the department.
The park has a playground, courts, a picnic shelter and restrooms and since last fall, some parts have been closed for renovations that are expected to take until 2030. Some unsheltered people have been living at the park.
In the statement, police said they were conducting a “violent crime initiative focused on known gun and drug offenders.”
“This incident was part of that operation. Several individuals were arrested. Illegal narcotics and four firearms were also seized from the encampment,” it read. “This remains an ongoing investigation, and further details will be released at the appropriate time.”
Police confirmed the encampment was not cleared or removed. They did not release details about those who were arrested.
Homeless encampments in Durham
On April 13, the city continued work to clear a long-standing encampment at Oakwood Park due to a fire and health and safety risks. The clearance frustrated community advocates who said the unhoused community at the park had nowhere else to go.
In his State of the City speech Tuesday night Mayor Leo Williams highlighted the link between housing and public safety.
In a statement Wednesday, Williams said housing is a top priority but “there must be norms that we all agree to live with.”
“However, that does not mean it is OK to openly and freely populate our city parks with heavy drug usage, weapons possession [and] prostitution,” he said.
“Durham as a city is much more lenient than most cities as we realize the real challenges for our unhoused community,” he said. “As we work toward ending homelessness in Durham, I count on every homeless service provider to open their doors. For every unhoused person, if we offer you resources, please take it.”
According to the data collected by the city’s Community Safety Department, over 1,400 people were experiencing homelessness in Durham at the end of March. The department has launched an initiative to end homelessness in the city by 2031, with a $13 million investment in more housing options and resources.