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Homeless camps removed from Salem park

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Some longtime homeless camps in Salem have been moved out.

For about a decade, established camps have been set up on private property next to Wallace Marine Park.

Police said the owners got court orders to remove them and they set up camp in Minto Brown Island Park.

Now there are concerns about environmental damage.

“We’re really there trying to ensure the integrity of the park so it’s available and usable for everybody that comes to Salem,” Lt. Treven Upkes with Salem police said. “When a lot of these camps get too big or they become well established, it starts to degrade the environment.”

He said it’s really a last resort to remove people from the park and police do let everyone know about services available in the city.

Homeless resources in Salem