ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – When the city clears out a homeless camp, what happens to the belongings they find? Video showed officers and City of Albuquerque Solid Waste Department crews cleaning up a homeless encampment in January after the property owners were arrested.
Officer: “We need bins at least two.”
Crews sifted through multiple piles from tents to grocery carts and bags filled with stuff.
Officer: “I would just say like blankets, if it’s not soiled blankets, probably like backpacks and stuff in the bins.”
Solid Waste worker: “The only thing, whatever can fit in one bin that’s all their getting.”
Once packed, the bins are kept for up to 90 days. A spokesperson for the city’s Solid Waste Department says to date, 160 people have stored items with them.
Earlier this year, the city reported only 11% of people picked up their items. Now, that number has gone up to 25%.
Officer: “So we’re getting the stuff now.”
Crews worked with the owners to prioritize what they wanted to keep safe.
Officer: “We got your military green bag anything else? And the three other bags?”
Property owner: “My iron skillet. I got two iron skillets, they know what they are.”
Officer: “Alright, whatever else can fit in there that you guys are allowed to keep in there, he mentioned something about a skillet. Oh right here.”
The city says just last month they had more than 1,100 illegal camping clean-ups, which is when crews come in after an encampment has moved out.