A homeless encampment that appeared this week nearby Portland High School has renewed concerns about student safety, marking yet another incident in a year filled with encampments, discarded needles, and public-safety complaints across Maine’s largest city.
Police asked individuals living along Lancaster Street to leave the site on Monday. The area sits directly beside a popular parking location for Portland High School students, heightening alarm for parents, residents, and school officials.
Neighbors told local media they no longer feel safe walking in the area and want the city to step in. The city made the decision to remove the encampment, an earlier version of this article, indicated that the Superintendent made the request, that was inaccurate.
City leaders say the issue is complicated by individuals who decline services. Mayor Mark Dion said shelters have open beds but the encampment cycle continues as people refuse to go. He called the situation a “dilemma” for Portland as the city tries to balance enforcement, services, and growing neighborhood concerns.
Dion also pointed to the school district’s 2020 decision to eliminate school resource officers, a move pushed by activists during the height of the defund-the-police movement. Dion said he now regrets that the officers are gone, noting they could have helped address ongoing safety problems around school buildings.
School officials have not publicly said whether they would consider restoring SROs despite the mayor’s comments.
The camp outside Portland High School is only the latest in a string of homeless encampments and needle-littered areas cleared by the city and state this year. Each sweep has renewed debate over public safety, homelessness policy, and the city’s ability to keep school campuses and surrounding neighborhoods secure.
District leaders say they want a clear plan from the city to address the encampment and protect students. City officials acknowledge the growing concerns but say broader cooperation between the district and service providers is needed as these encampments continue to reappear across Portland.
The question now facing both the city and the schools: how many more encampments will form near public buildings before officials take stronger action?
