Homeless Encampments, Trash, Drug Paraphernalia Litter the Baw Beese Trail
Much of the trash is located on city property.
Baw Beese Trail—Last year, Hillsdale citizens and the city’s Department of Public Services cleaned up homeless encampments alongside the Baw Beese Trail from Oak Grove Cemetery to Baw Beese Lake.
The volunteers and public employees hauled away hundreds of pounds of trash, clothes, mattresses, and more.
Despite the operation of two homeless shelters—Share the Warmth at Sozo Church and Camp Hope at Hillsdale Thrift—the trail has been flooded again with trash, tents, clothes, and drug paraphernalia.
Ward 2 Councilman Matthew Bentley, who is running for mayor, said he will prioritize law enforcement and the cleanliness and order of public spaces.
“I hope to work closely with the police chief to understand what I as mayor can do to facilitate his difficult task of enforcing vagrancy laws to protect Hillsdale’s families and public spaces from crime and disorder,” he said.
The following photographs were taken within a few hundred feet of the Baw Beese Trail south of W. Fayette St. and west of N. West St. Hillsdale owns two parcels around this section of the trail—150 N. West St. and 60 W. Fayette St.—but one of the parcels—162 N. West St.—belongs to Michigan Gas Utilities.
The next set of photographs were also taken within a few hundred feet of the Baw Beese Trail, this time south of W. Montgomery St. and north of W. Galloway St. These encampments are on 75 W. Galloway Dr., 87 W. Galloway Dr., and 40 Montgomery St.—all city-owned properties.
This picture, showing two tents and a bike, was taken a few feet off the trail, around the corner from the Hillsdale Wastewater Treatment plant.
This picture was taken on the west side of the St. Joseph River. The property, owned by the city, is 51 W. Fayette St.
These pictures were taken on the east side of the St. Joseph River on 51 W. Fayette St.
Joshua Paladino
It is my humble opinion that LifeWay employees and participants + homeless shelter employees and participants should go out daily to pick up the trash and serve those they say they are helping.
I want to hear from Commissioner Ingles on this. What is he going to do as a community father, a long time resident/property tax payer, and someone decades in local government. If the commissioner wants to defer to the city manager... I'd like to hear what Mr. Ingles long time City of Hillsdale property owner has to say.... This crap can not stand. I want to hear from the City Manager about if even more catering to the transients is in the future..... I'd like to know why it was left when he was informed about it. Many of the folks in power in this community need to ride off into the sunset.... They've done a poor job and its time for new leadership. Anyone who disputes this has not walked the trails, been to the library, or shopped at Kroger. Apathy and cowardice are contagious and our entrenched community leadership has caught a bad generational case of both.