After the city shut down its largest homeless encampment at Pig’s Eye Park, hundreds of displaced residents relocated to a new site near Shepard Road and Randolph Avenue, driving up police calls in the area and raising serious safety concerns for first responders and nearby residents.
What happened at Pig’s Eye Park
St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her’s administration shut down the Pig’s Eye Park encampment on Aug. 5, citing a rise in calls for police and fire services. The camp had been home to around 200 people.
“It was a safety and health concern,” Asst. Mayor Cedrick Baker told St. Paul city council members during a committee meeting last week.
Despite investing $1 million to expand shelter capacity, the city says only seven former Pig’s Eye residents used the available shelter services — and those seven do not necessarily stay at the shelter every night. Four others received services through Union Gospel Mission.
“We would have wanted more individuals to be in shelter space,” Baker said. “So we do not believe that that was a success.”
The backstory:
Before the Pig’s Eye closure, the area around Shepard Road and Randolph Avenue — including the nearby Waterford Bay Apartments — averaged 11 police calls per month from January through July. After the closure, officials estimate that 90 to 100 people from Pig’s Eye relocated to the Randolph encampment. Police calls then surged to 145 in August alone — an increase of more than 1,200 percent. The calls involved fights and theft, while officers also carried out proactive measures, including installing cameras in the area.
The growing crisis at Randolph
Mutual aid groups have described conditions at the Randolph encampment as “untenable.” Nearby Waterford Bay Apartments has added new no-trespassing signs, while apartment management is directing tenants with concerns to contact St. Paul city council president Rebecca Noecker.
“We’ve had residents reach out to us voicing concerns about personal security and unsanitary conditions created by the encampment. We’ve reached out to the City of St. Paul on multiple occasions to voice your concerns to city leadership and to request enhanced police coverage around our building,” the email to Waterford Bay residents read.
St. Paul Fire said in a statement to FOX 9 that the Randolph site creates “some unique access and operational challenges because of the location, terrain, secured gates and conditions within the site.” The department also said fire and EMS crews wear special personal protective equipment when entering the camp. On Wednesday, first responders used a four-wheeler to respond to a medical call because the site was so difficult to access. Tents and makeshift homes also straddle train tracks, creating another layer of complexity.
Baker also told council members that the encampment occupies a former auto salvage yard with soil contaminated by lead and carcinogenic substances. The area also faces a risk of flooding.
The city plans to clear the Randolph encampment, but Baker has not provided a timeline for that closure or for a third encampment on St. Paul’s East Side. FOX 9’s Emily Pofahl contacted the city for an update on the timeline and was told there were no updates. City administration and the St. Paul Police Department either declined interview requests or did not respond for this story.
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