HPD confirms homeless camps cleared by Meijer on Holland's southside

HOLLAND — In mid-September, the Holland Police Department aided staff in clearing homeless encampments on Meijer property at E. 16th Street and Waverly Road.

Multiple camps were established east of the store building, according to HPD.

“There have been, apparently, some recent issues with fighting,” said HPD Capt. Robert Buursma. “Meijer management decided they needed to clean because there was a lot of trash back there, including human feces.”

According to Buursma, the store provided advanced notice to those living on the property, and most left on their own. He said it's the only incident clearing homeless camps HPD has responded to in the past month.

Meijer did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

“We don't generally initiate,” Buursma said of vacating homeless camps in Holland. “If it's on private property, that's up to the property owner to make that decision.”

When asked what resources are provided to individuals asked to vacate, Buursma said HPD partners with multiple organizations, including Gateway Mission and Community Action House. The department also utilizes their Crisis Intervention Team, which pairs deputies with a clinician from Community Mental Health. That team launched about 18 months ago.

“You have a police officer right there that can enforce the law if you need," Buursma said. "You also have a clinician there who can provide some immediate assistance or point them in the direction of what resources are available and make referrals ... if they choose to accept it. It's been a very successful program.”

(This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.)

— Cassidey Kavathas is the politics and court reporter at The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at ckavathas@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @cassideykava.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: HPD confirms homeless camps cleared by Meijer on Holland's southside