PRESS RELEASE: Greater Bloomington Chamber Urges Immediate Joint Action at Powerline Encampment Following Escalating Violence and Neighborhood Safety Concerns

Following two separate reports of shots-fired within the past week and numerous other safety concerns, the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce is calling on Monroe County and the City of Bloomington to expedite collaborative efforts to safely close the Powerline encampment located at the Thomson property on Bloomington's southside.

The Chamber stands with Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County, the families building and living in homes at Osage Place, and the staff and volunteers working alongside them. The Chamber further submits that leaving individuals in an increasingly violent and unsafe encampment is neither compassionate nor sustainable.

"The public-safety concerns at the Powerline encampment are no longer theoretical; they are an active, daily threat to our community," said Eric Spoonmore, President & CEO of the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce. "With a second shots-fired incident within a one week span near the Osage Place neighborhood, the time for delay is over. Families shouldn't have to wonder if they're safe in their own homes, and the people living at the camp shouldn't be left in dangerous conditions. Accelerating this closure process is an absolute necessity, and we urge the County and City to move forward together without delay to keep residents safe."

The Powerline encampment sits on county-owned property that borders a City of Bloomington neighborhood. To ensure that property lines do not slow down an effective response to these immediate threats, the Chamber recommends the following collaborative steps to support the County in leading the closure and the City in providing necessary public-safety support:

• Accelerating timelines: Mobilizing the people and resources needed to close the site safely ahead of the original September 1 target.
• Bridging jurisdictional boundaries: Pairing a visible Sheriff's Office presence at Thomson with increased, immediate BPD patrols in Osage Place and the surrounding City streets.
• Prioritizing immediate outreach: Connecting service providers, shelter information, and housing resources with individuals at the camp immediately to facilitate safe exits.
• Enhancing data sharing: Equipping law enforcement and outreach workers with real-time information on available beds so individuals have clear, immediate options.
• Ensuring long-term site security: Clearing hazardous debris following the closure, securing the site, and maintaining active monitoring to prevent the encampment from returning.

Supporting people toward stable housing and protecting public safety are not competing goals. The individuals at the Powerline camp deserve a safer path forward, and the neighboring families deserve a secure environment. Both are achievable through immediate, coordinated action.
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"County officials have already recognized that this encampment cannot remain, and the events over the past week underscore the extreme gravity of the situation," Spoonmore said. "By looking beyond jurisdictional boundaries and bringing the right people to the table immediately, we can bring the encampment to a safe, orderly close before further tragedies occur."