Wheeling’s newest mayor speaks on homeless camp policy

WHEELING, W.Va. (WTRF) — It’s an issue Wheeling has considered, debated and worked toward for years, and it’s a main focus of the newest person in the mayor’s office.

Finding a place for the homeless is a priority for Denny Magruder, who tells 7News he fully supports the Friendly City’s public camping ban.

He says the one exempted camp allows the city to serve the population more efficiently, and lowers the cost of cleaning up several sites.

Magruder says some of those who find themselves without a home are down and out financially, but an even larger contingent is there due to drug and alcohol abuse.

“That’s not an easy problem to solve. Society’s working on that one. But there’s a few things we have to do, certainly prevention’s a piece, treatment’s a piece. And we can’t just treat somebody that’s been addicted by putting them in dryout for two or three days and sending them back to the street. We need to work again closely with federal and state agencies and with our other groups here in Wheeling to find ways to give those people better chances at rehab.”

Denny Magruder, Wheeling Mayor-elect

Magruder also says there is also a criminal element that hides behind those who truly need help among the homeless population, but he’s happy to see the fraud and theft decline in recent months.

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