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Railroad Museum leaders urge action as vandalism and homeless activity damage downtown displays
Summary
Railroad Museum representatives described repeated theft, vandalism, open fires and sanitation problems near the museum and the farmers market, and asked the city for coordinated outreach and ordinance options; city staff and police said they are exploring responses with behavioral-health partners.
Representatives of the Regional Railroad Museum told the Poplar Bluff City Council on April 20 that downtown vandalism and behavior by people experiencing homelessness are damaging museum property, creating fire hazards and impairing the visitor experience.
"They're stripping wiring...they lit a fire and suited the whole thing up to where we had to scrub it down," said Richard White, president of the Railroad Museum, listing repeated damage to a display caboose, cut water lines and theft of wiring from lighting fixtures. "It's a city problem," he added, urging the council to help address downtown safety and sanitation.
Austin Kirby, vice president of the museum, described finding clothing, drugs and human waste on the museum site and warned that lack of lighting and routine oversight could lead to harm: "If something happens to a little child… it could happen very easily." Both museum leaders asked the city to consider ordinances or coordinated outreach to neighboring jurisdictions and social-service providers.
Assistant City Manager Laurie Phelps said the city has met with the police chief, the city attorney and behavioral-health and rehabilitation providers and is pursuing options; she said staff are reviewing ordinances and engaging partner agencies but cautioned that services are constrained by red tape. Police and council members urged immediate reporting when incidents are observed so officers can act.
The council thanked the museum representatives and said staff would continue pursuing solutions and potential ordinance changes and that several items tied to downtown revitalization would be considered in upcoming meetings and grant efforts.
