Why are there so many people living in tents on the north side of town and why won’t the police do anything about it? Is there criminal activity going on there?
According to Chanute Chief of Police Raymond Hale, both city and county law enforcement are aware of the situation. The location of the tents, on North Washington Ave., is outside of Chanute city limits and the county has no specific zoning that says people can’t camp or live there.
Neosho County Attorney Linus Thuston noted that the original owners of the land are deceased and at least one of the people living there is supposedly related to them and may have permission to be there. He also said that some of the 18-35 living in the tents on a regular basis have had interaction with law enforcement, usually for failure to appear or other outstanding warrants. He said there has been no apparent current crime in the tent area.
Both Hale and Thuston pointed out that there is no current solution for homelessness in Chanute. Faith House, the former sole shelter in town, closed down for lack of funding, and the Chanute Housing Authority has a waiting list.
(Read more: The Chanute Tribune)