Authorities removed a large homeless encampment near Commanche Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard on Wednesday morning after receiving complaints from residents in the surrounding neighborhoods.
The widespread encampment, located on Eglin Air Force Base property, had encroached on the nearby communities of Tanglewood, Overbrook and Palm Bay. At least one registered sex offender was occupying the camp, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.
Because the camp was situated on federal land, Eglin security forces and U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials assisted Okaloosa deputies in removing the individuals and their belongings.
- “As our deputies work with land owners to address encampments on private property, information and guides are provided to displaced homeless individuals who desire to utilize available community resources,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Additional patrols of the area are planned, and Eglin environmental crews will spend the next few days cleaning up a significant amount of garbage and debris left behind at the campsite.
The Sheriff’s Office said its Community Resource Unit aims to connect homeless residents with housing, medical care and other services when possible.
19 Responses
The right way to help the homeless
You are so right, we have leaders that actually care about our community so that it doesn’t become a cesspool like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia and what many more cities have become. Also where it is dangerous for the communities where it happens.
Not even close. Just a way to sweep up one mess and displace the problem temporarily. Those services from the community are jail-like and run by the laziest of all entitled groups, so they don’t help everyone, especially if you’re conservative. It’d be better just to give a few acres out to the homeless. Less fraud and a lower tax bill.
I Totally agree the city of FORT WALTON ⛱️ BEACH IS OVER DUE FOR A LOT OF CHANGES THIS IS JUST 1OF MANY CHANGE IS DUE TO THE PEOPLE HUMAN SUFFERING IS REAL AND MANY WHO THINK IT WONT HAPPEN TO THEM YOUR WRONG HELP Gods People.
Ms sabin I would like to clean your Freeport property for free if I could have some of the junk in the yard
Where are all the veterans that were there being helped?
So happy that is being cleaned up, that is disgusting
You could be homeless tomorrow, stop judging.
If I was homeless tomorrow it is still disgusting. Stop judging.
It’s nothing wrong with judging as long as it’s not hypocritical. According to the Bible Matthew 7:3-5
you can judge the actions in a constructive way but not a hypocritical way. I’ve been homeless before myself but at the same time clean up the neighborhood. No one get a pass because they homeless. To leave a mess behind in a neighborhood for rodents and animals can invade the neighborhood.
Not all of are homeless are nasty pigs like they are some of are homeless due to medical reasons
They just moved 3 blocks away. Trashing a new place on private property.
It makes me so mad.
So you cleaned it up, what did you do to help those people? Where are they living now? Did you give them a home? A warm bed? Food to eat? Fresh clothes to wear? If not, you are the problem.
Can they come live with you? You seem very concerned about there well being.
Fix the country and the homeless problem goes away
They’re biking through my neighborhood going through cars and stealing stuff, so you bleeding hearts need to come and help them yourselves if you feel so bad. Until you actually do, put a sock in it and stop judging people who are fed up.
They are american citizens, so they have a right to free travel, wow so sad, our country gives away trillions but will not fix homelessiness.
‘The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’