Violence and Neglect, Life at the Homeless I-40 Camp

Violence and Neglect, Life at the Homeless I-40 Camp

Summary: Ralph DiPalma exposes the dire conditions at a designated homeless pickup and drop-off location under an I-40 bridge, where stabbings, shootings, rapes, and fights are rampant. For 28 months, no portable toilets, security, or trash cans have been provided, leaving human and dog waste to fester. Previously, most individuals were at Coronado Park, but after its closure and the destruction of 62 shade-providing trees, they relocated here. Despite warnings, city officials ignored the predictable outcome.

A metal fence, repeatedly broken, is under the bridge, with flies and stench pervasive. Weekly trash cleanup is the only intervention, leaving residents in a vigilante-like environment armed with makeshift weapons. Drug dealers carry guns, and addiction fuels recurring violence. Innocent, newly evicted individuals arrive unaware of the dangers. Ralph urges federal intervention, as state and city governments have failed to act for over a decade.