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Akron Police Defend Breaking Up Homeless Camp

Akron police say they acted properly and warned homeless people in advance before ordering them to leave encampments and throwing away their belongings.  

A police spokesperson issued a statement Monday in response to a lawsuit filed Friday in federal court by 11 people who say they had their civil rights violated during sweeps of homeless camps by police and city workers.  Monday's statement says officers cleared the camps at the request of property owners. The statement says the camps had no restrooms and that drug paraphernalia was found. Police also contend they gave the homeless people a chance to salvage their belongings.  The lawsuit claims that some people lost everything during the police sweeps and that some occurred at sites where homeless people had been told they could camp.
 

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