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St. Paul Assistant Mayor Cedrick Baker Oversees Clearing of City's Largest Homeless Encampment at Pig's Eye Park

St. Paul Assistant Mayor Cedrick Baker led the clearing of the Pig's Eye Park homeless encampment on Wednesday, marking the city's first major dismantling of a homeless camp in over a year. The administration announced that the move is part of a new 'Coordinated Transition Plan' aimed at addressing public safety concerns, such as fires, overdoses, and assaults, which generated over 850 emergency calls in the past year. While city officials estimated there were approximately 140 residents, some activists claimed the population was over 250. The administration announced that outreach teams are working one-on-one with residents to help them pack belongings and transition to indoor shelter. City Council President Rebecca Noecker expressed support for the mayor's executive decision, provided that every resident has a guaranteed indoor space. Despite some pushback from rioters and faith leaders who requested more time to expand shelter capacity, the city moved forward to ensure residents are not exposed to the dangers of colder months.

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