City officials announced that a number of criminal complaints have been received from city residents and contractors working nearby an encampment in the area of Tunnel Green.

WHEELING — Officials in the city of Wheeling on Monday issued a response to a letter sent by the American Civil Liberties Union that demanded they immediately cease plans to dismantle homeless encampments in the city.

The ACLU sent the letter Sunday to City Manager Robert Herron and City Solicitor Rose Humway-Warmuth stating that the city had until 5 p.m. Monday to commit in writing that the city would put an immediate stop to the destruction of encampments in the city. The letter also requested that the city establish housing options for the individuals who were displaced by the city’s actions.

Particular concern was raised over the city’s plan to remove the encampment during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, city leaders said the action is being taken to combat ongoing criminal activity.

Late last week, city officials announced that a number of criminal complaints have been received from city residents and contractors working nearby the encampment in the area of Tunnel Green.

City officials said because of the volume of criminal complaints stemming from some people living in the encampment, they have taken action to remove it from the city-owned property.

Since the time this plan action was made public, an outcry about rights of the homeless people living in the encampments, which are comprised of tents and other primitive, temporary living settlements.

On Monday afternoon, Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron acknowledged receipt of the letter from the ACLU.

“We are reviewing the concerns expressed (by the American Civil Liberties Union),” Herron said. “The city of Wheeling is sensitive to homeless people and their struggles. However, we will not tolerate criminal activity.”

Herron explained that over the course of the past 12 months, the Wheeling Police Department received more than 239 calls for service related to the encampment in question.

“These are cases of breaking and entering, burglary, destruction of property, petty larceny, trespassing, disorderly conduct, ” Herron said. “Notice was provided to people in the camps, and there was a police follow up. They were given an opportunity to gather their personal belongings.”

Herron noted that there is an ordinance prohibiting camping on city property.

“Some of them are in very bad condition,” Herron noted, indicating that there also have been complaints about excessive trash and unsightly appearance of some of the camps. “Our intent is to deal with areas where police had to respond on several occasions because of complaints from property owners.”

City leaders said they worked with representatives of Project HOPE to help communicate to the inhabitants of the encampments at least a week in advance that they would be vacated.

The ACLU noted in its letter that action to disperse people in the homeless encampment flies in the face of the governor’s shelter-in-place order as part of the coronavirus pandemic and could compromise public health and safety. They cited guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control on how municipalities should handle issues dealing with encampments during this time of crisis. The CDC guidelines state, “Unless individual housing units are available, do not clear encampments during community spread of COVID-19. Clearing encampments can cause people to disperse throughout the community and break connections with service providers. This increases the potential for infectious disease spread.”

The city manager on Monday did not indicate whether or not further removal of individuals at the encampments would continue beyond action already taken late last week.