The CSX railroad company began clearing a Bangor homeless encampment on Monday morning that was located on their property near the train tracks between Washington Street and the Penobscot River.
[RELATED: Bangor City Council Delays Clearing of Massive Homeless Encampment by Two Months…]
The Bangor City Council set a December 19 deadline for the camp to be cleared, though that deadline was missed by three days. At the time the deadline was set in November, there were an estimated 40-50 people living in the encampment on property owned in part by CSX and in part by the city.
According to the Bangor Daily News, the Bangor City Council decided not to move forward with clearing the encampment by Friday, but the railroad company held firm in its decision to oust the homeless people squatting on its land and began clearing the camp on Monday at around 7:00 a.m.
“We’re coordinating next steps with local authorities, including a scheduled cleanup, and continue to emphasize that the public should always stay clear of active railroad property,” said CSX spokesperson Austin Staton.
The railroad’s cleanup crew reportedly included construction equipment to clear tents and trash, as well as members of the company’s private police force, the CSX Police Department, along with at least two city officials.
One officer told the Bangor paper that many of the encampment’s residents had left before the clearing crews arrived, and only about five people were present when they got there.
By 9:30 a.m., the camp was reportedly empty.
Prior to the clearing, the Bangor City Council distributed a letter to encampment residents warning them that if they remained at the site, they could face criminal trespassing charges and providing them with information on warming centers.
