Clean up efforts continue at Medford’s Hawthorne Park

MEDFORD, Ore. — The city of Medford is continuing its efforts to clean up Hawthorne Park after it removed dozens of homeless people who were camping on the property on Tuesday.

The tent city sprang up within the last week and was shut down on Monday, with police arresting roughly 10 people.

Police say cleanup crews have been working non-stop ever since to clean up needles, human waste, and more.

On Wednesday, they were trimming trees and repairing damage to public bathrooms.

“[It was] kind of a painstaking process yesterday between the parks department employees and the police employees who were going around with trash grabbers and trash bags; we had to bring in a forty yard dumpster to haul all the garbage away,” said Lt. Trevor Arnold, Medford Police Dept.

Lt. Arnold says 22 people who were camping at the park are now at Medford’s urban campground on Biddle and Midway Road.

It’s designed to help the homeless get resources and camp safely away from the greenway.

He says over 36 people refused services and 9 are now staying at the Kelly Shelter.

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