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UPDATE: Police clearing homeless camp on pedestrian bridge in east Las Vegas

Don't walk this way: homeless camp takes over pedestrian bridge
Don't walk this way: homeless camp takes over pedestrian bridge
Don't walk this way: homeless camp takes over pedestrian bridge
Don't walk this way: homeless camp takes over pedestrian bridge
Posted at 5:40 PM, Apr 16, 2019
and last updated 2019-04-18 17:26:38-04

UPDATE APRIL 18: Las Vegas Police were at an east Las Vegas pedestrian bridge telling people inside the homeless camp to leave Thursday morning.

Clark County told 13 Action News the homeless camp would be cleaned up after complains that people were afraid to use the bridge.

But despite the clean-up efforts, concerned neighbors want a real solution to the ongoing homeless problem plaguing the city.

“Over time you try to get help you gotta come up with all kinds of excuses to not try to help you and you’ve got all these homeless people out here” says Lynell Hunter, neighbor.

Last week, City Councilman Bob Coffin proposed an act that would impose an additional tax to be able to provide funding for services and affordable housing for those who are homeless in Clark County.

Instead of approving that act, the legislature amended it and sided with Assemblywoman Dina Neal’s proposal.

She’s calling for counties and cities to work together in a shared and cooperative way to find funding strategies, claiming that the problem is not isolated to any single city.

She wants to form a task force, and to spend time to study just how to reduce homelessness.

“I think the city needs to really put more emphasis on trying to find these people resources instead of condemning them as homeless and nasty and criminals,” says Hunter.

ORIGINAL STORY: A series of tents, tarps, shopping carts and a mattress are lining a pedestrian bridge on Nellis Boulevard near Sahara Avenue that is prompting some pedestrians to jaywalk and avoid the mess.

Around a dozen people were in and around the homeless camp around noon on Tuesday.

A man named Anthony was one of the few to make their way across the bridge who wasn't apparently living on the pedestrian bridge over the busy section of roadway.

The pedestrian told 13 Action News that until about a week ago the bridge was easy to cross, especially compared with Tuesday, where he had to carry his small cart for 15-20 feet to avoid the debris.

"It is a hassle because when I go up here, I have to pick my cart up," Anthony said. "Because there is no room. They have their tent right there, and it is blocking the walkway."

Pedestrians who don't want to walk through the obstacle course on the bridge can either walk an extra quarter mile or so to the next signal or as 13 Action News witnessed several times jaywalk right under the bridge.

"There are so many people we don't want to bring her through all of that," a mother named Yahaira said. "If it is clear like we just did, I would rather do that; I don't know it is just uncomfortable up there."

The good news for neighbors is Clark County is already aware of the issue. - a homeless outreach team visited the camp and offered services to those living there.

Due to the fact, the camp is set up in a public right-of-way the county says it will have to go. They are planning to give the people some time to pursue the services offered or move their belongings before clearing the bridge.