This browser does not support the Video element.
Police calls surge near new St. Paul encampment
After St. Paul closed the Pig's Eye Park homeless encampment, officials estimate 90 to 100 people moved to an encampment near Shepard Road and Randolph Avenue. Police calls in the surrounding area jumped from an average of 11 per month to 145 in August, while nearby residents and first responders raised safety and access concerns.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - After the city closed its largest homeless encampment at Pig's Eye Park, hundreds of displaced residents moved to a new site near Shepard Road and Randolph Avenue, spiking police calls to the area and raising serious safety concerns for first responders and nearby residents alike.
What happened at Pig's Eye Park
What we know:
St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her's administration closed the Pig's Eye Park encampment on Aug. 5, citing increased calls for police and fire services. The camp had housed around 200 people.
"It was a safety and health concern," Asst. Mayor Cedrick Baker told St. Paul city council members in a committee meeting last week.
Despite a $1 million investment to expand shelter capacity, the city says only seven former Pig's Eye residents used the provided shelter services — and those seven don't necessarily stay at that shelter every night. Four others were getting services through Union Gospel Mission.
"We would have wanted more individuals to be in shelter space," Baker said. "So we do not believe that that was a success."
The backstory:
Before the Pig's Eye closure, the area near Shepard Road and Randolph Avenue — including the nearby Waterford Bay Apartments — averaged 11 police calls per month between January and July. After the closure, officials estimate 90 to 100 people from Pig's Eye moved to the Randolph encampment. Police calls then spiked to 145 in August alone — a more than 1,200 percent increase. Those calls included fights and theft, but officers also conducted proactive work, including installing cameras in the area.
The growing crisis at Randolph
What they're saying:
Mutual aid groups describe the situation at the Randolph encampment as "untenable." At the Waterford Bay Apartments nearby, new no-trespassing signs have gone up and apartment management is directing tenants to contact St. Paul city council president Rebecca Noecker with concerns.
"We’ve had residents reach out to us voicing concerns about personal security and unsanitary conditions created by the encampment. We’ve reached out to the City of St. Paul on multiple occasions to voice your concerns to city leadership and to request enhanced police coverage around our building," the email to Waterford Bay residents read.
St. Paul Fire told FOX 9 in a statement that the Randolph site presents "some unique access and operational challenges because of the location, terrain, secured gates and conditions within the site." The department also says fire and EMS crews use special personal protective equipment when entering the camp. On Wednesday, first responders used a four-wheeler to answer a medical call because of how difficult the site is to access. The tents and makeshift homes straddle train tracks, adding another layer of complexity.
Baker also told council members the encampment sits on a former auto salvage yard where the soil is contaminated with lead and carcinogenic substances. The area is also prone to flooding.
What we don't know:
The city has plans to clear the Randolph encampment, but Baker has not outlined a timeline for that closure or for a third encampment on St. Paul's East Side. FOX 9's Emily Pofahl reached out to the city for a timeline and was told there are no updates. City administration and the St. Paul Police Department denied or did not respond to interview requests for this story.