CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A number of homeless camps are set up in Flour Bluff parks. Today, some residents took KRIS 6 News on a tour, showing us firsthand why they're so concerned.
KRIS 6 News visited Waldron Park, where there are at least four homeless camps no more than 20 feet away from trails that are used daily by park visitors and residents.
Trash was scattered everywhere, drug paraphernalia was found, and there was a foul smell of garbage and feces.
This is exactly what park visitors, such as Tony Keith, are worried about.
"Kids love exploring trails," Keith said. "So they start going down trails and next thing you know, you're coming across a camp with people living in it."
The camps are hard to spot, because they're hidden in the brush.
Nancy Hamilton, a frequent park visitor, didn't even know the homeless camps were there.
"We didn't realize they were as close as they are," she said. "It makes me a little nervous being in the park."
This is just one of the issues the new homeless outreach program is going to tackle. They say it won't be an easy task, but the initiative is needed.
"This type of behavior is not normal for our society," said Flour Bluff Joe Kramer. "It's not healthy for our society. It's not healthy for our environment."
Residents who attended a meeting with city leaders earlier in the week say they were told the homeless camps would be removed in a matter of weeks.
The city said that since they've gotten involved in the homeless issue in Flour Bluff, two parks have already been cleared out.
