Garland staff describe encampment cleanup, outreach and enforcement strategy; police task force outlines deflection option

Amber Thompson, Garland Environmental Compliance director, described the city’s response to homeless encampments and related environmental hazards, including human waste, biohazards and fires. “The most impactful thing at an encampment that some people aren't aware of is there's nowhere to go to the bathroom,” Thompson said, describing disinfecting, needle removal and other cleanup tasks.

Thompson said the city posts a notice and gives residents three days to vacate public property before removing an encampment; items are stored for seven days unless they are “really, really filthy,” in which case staff discard them. She said the city coordinates with multiple departments — parks, streets, sanitation, GP&L — and with neighboring Mesquite to conduct synchronized cleanups so people do not move back and forth across jurisdictional boundaries.

The city’s enforcement and outreach mix

Officer Wilson of the Garland Homeless Task Force said the police unit focuses on enforcement cases and partner coordination while the environmental team handles cleanups. “What we've learned over the last 10 years… it's probably 9 out of 10 people that we contact don't want the help,” Wilson said, stressing that responses must be individualized. The task force described options that include warnings, citations, arrest for specific offenses such as criminal trespass, and diversion to a nonprofit-run deflection center when appropriate.

Wilson described Homeward Bound’s Dallas Deflection Center as an option for some people arrested for trespass: staff said the center offers rooms, intake services and referrals for mental-health, addiction and housing services as an alternative to incarceration when an individual agrees to participate.

Private property, trespass and city tools

Thompson explained the city’s process for private-property encampments: staff try to notify the owner. Property owners are asked to post no-trespassing signs and are reminded that an encampment can attract criminal activity and property damage, which ultimately become the owner’s responsibility. Thompson said city staff can assist private owners when an encampment presents biohazard or safety risks and — if owners do not act after notices — the city may obtain warrants to clear the site.

Thompson also recommended practical steps for property owners: protect Wi-Fi, lock exterior water and electrical access points, post signs and call code or city staff promptly with specific location details. She noted that some creekbanks and small waterways may be privately owned even where a creek is present; staff use the Dallas County Appraisal District and property surveys to identify owners.

Services, counts and collaboration

Thompson said Garland participates in regional efforts including the annual PIT (point-in-time) count run by Housing Forward; the city recorded 87 people in last year's count, she said. She also listed service partners used in outreach — Metro Relief, local shelters, a women's shelter in Garland — and described a winter warming center at the downtown Boys & Girls Club during periods of bad weather.

Why this matters

Presentations highlighted trade-offs between enforcement and long-term solutions: task force members said enforcement is sometimes necessary to access deflection or treatment options, but most successful exits from homelessness require individualized services and — in some cases — ongoing case management and life-skills support.

Next steps

Staff asked residents to report encampment locations with as much identifying information as possible (time, unit color, photos, coordinates) to assist targeted follow-up. Thompson provided her city email (amthompson@garlandtx.gov) and said the city posts guidance and reporting tools on its website.

Speakers quoted in this article are present in the meeting record and attributed from the transcript.