JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — It’s been a week since a state of emergency went into place in Jamestown due to almost 300 people across the city living in public and leaving behind a trail of syringes, garbage and human waste.
For the first time since, Jamestown Mayor Kimberly Ecklund addressed the ongoing situation in an exclusive interview with 2 On Your Side Thursday, emphasizing her city cannot handle it alone.
“No, we can't. We need help,” she said. “Most of these agencies here, whether it's a non-for-profit, or even the county, including UPMC, are overburdened. And it's showing.”
The same sights that existed a week ago when 2 On Your Side entered the encampments along the railroad tracks remain a week later. Piles of garbage and shelters are common scenes, inhabited by people, many of whom are struggling with addiction.
“We have to clean it up. We have to clean it up,” Ecklund said. “Garbage, debris, needles going into the river — that's a public health and sanitation issue.”
To resolve the issue, the mayor has been working with the county. Their primary goal is outreach.
“My intention wasn't to go in there the next day and kick them out,” she said. “We're not going to arrest them for being homeless. We're going to try to get them some services.”
But if those living in the encampments don’t accept the help or leave on their own, the mayor said the city will be forced to take action and plans to do so by the end of the month.
“The plan will be to go and do the outreach like we're doing right now and post the property within 48 hours saying, we're going to be here in 48 hours. We're going to clean this up. Please get your stuff out of here. What's left is going to go into the garbage,” Ecklund said.
2 On Your Side met Troy Kightlinger after speaking with the mayor, who says he and his dog have been living under an underpass in Jamestown for the past few months. He said he will welcome the services provided by the city and county.
He just wants another chance and feels a lot of others living near him do, too.
“I mean, I need help,” he said. “That's it. And get my life back together. A lot of us, that's how we want to get our lives back together.”
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