'The handcuffs they wear are useless for these people': Colorado Springs animal hospital seeks help as homeless camp outside

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - The owners of a Colorado Springs animal hospital are seeking a solution to a nuanced issue.

Crossroads Animal Hospital told 11 News they have noticed people experiencing homelessness sleeping outside.

“We’ve had quite a big problem with the homeless in the past couple of years, it seems to just be getting worse,” said Dr. Craig Hyden, the medical director and owner of the facility.

Dr. Hyden said the city built a fence to keep people out of a culvert near his building. As 11 News arrived to speak to Dr. Hyden, a ladder was resting at that fence. Despite that, he said people have been pushed to his building, rather than sleeping in the culvert, which has caused a wide range of issues.

“They’re now pushing up onto my property, building fires as you can see,” he said. “I had to remove a fire pit here, barbecue pits and so many pallets and clothing.”

On the driveway, soot was scattered from what he said was a makeshift fire pit. Next door, at a NAPA Auto Parts store, scorch marks from a fire Colorado Springs firefighters responded to still remain.

But Dr. Hyden said the issue has escalated even beyond that.

“I’ve had them attack my nurses. Stole my motorcycle. Had to go get my motorcycle back,” he said. He showed 11 News a video he said he took of someone appearing to steal his motorcycle on his property.

It’s video he said he gave to police. Dr. Hyden also said security cameras have captured people sleeping on the property and even using drugs, but he said police haven’t been able to do much about it.

“They said the handcuffs that they wear are useless for these people,” Dr. Hyden said. “They said these folks have a lot more rights than I have as a business owner. So I’m handcuffed to just what I can do which is just ask them to leave.”

According to Colorado Springs police, they have gotten six calls from Crossroads Animal Hospital since August: three non-violent trespassers, one unattended trespasser and a fire.

They told 11 News trespassing is not a jailable offense, so a trespasser is ticketed and told to leave. Dr. Hyden said if someone is given a ticket and told to leave, they might come back; but he said they often aren’t even given a ticket.

“A call to come out to approach a homeless person who is not actively being violent at the moment is not high priority compared to what the police department are forced to do on the daily,” Dr. Hyden said. “By the time they come out, a lot of times, almost have moved on if you will.”

He told 11 News he has even contacted the Homeless Outreach Team directly, but by the time law enforcement arrives, he said people are often already gone, only to come back later.

“Very sad that these people don’t have a place to go, especially this time of year, but it has become a nuisance and it’s becoming a threat,” he said.

Dr. Hyden said he wants harsher penalties to be introduced to discourage people from sleeping at his property at night. Colorado Springs city officials told 11 News that action needs to come at a state level.

“So, I feel badly for the police department, they have their hands tied with a big problem, it’s hard to find out what the answer is,” Dr. Hyden said.