LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Clark County has added more fencing along the Flamingo Arroyo Trail near Desert Inn and Pecos Mcleod in an attempt to deter homeless encampments in the area.
“Being homeless is rough out here and I know everybody is tired of them, tired of us,” Patrick Byrns told 8 News Now. “I’d end up living right next to the wash for the majority of me being homeless.”
Byrns was homeless for 10 years and said he has been off the streets for three months but is still very much involved in that community.
A new barrier fence has been installed near the wash and Flamingo Arroyo Trail to stop the homeless from setting up camp.
Byrns who works at the Epic E-Bike Adventures explained to 8 News Now that if it weren’t for the owner giving him work, he’d still be out there.
Brittany Mossett a parent who lives nearby says she is pleased to see the new fencing but doesn’t feel like it’s going to make a lasting impression.
“They have to find somewhere to go, at the end of the day, they don’t have anywhere to live so putting up a fence is just stopping them from posting up in that location for that moment,” she expressed.
Mossett added that for her it is less about the people and more about the cleanliness of the neighborhood.
“The thing that frustrates me is because it gets dirty and there’s a lot of trash that is left behind,” she shared.
Commissioner Tick Segerblom who oversees the area of District E in Clark County, issued the following statement to 8 News Now.
“We are trying to keep the trail clear so bicyclists and joggers can use it from paradise to the wetlands park.”
Segerblom also said he plans to open what he calls a navigation center which will provide at least 100 beds for those experiencing homeless. More details on the navigation center are expected in July.