MUSKOGEE, Okla. — A bucket made into a toilet, a cot, some garbage, and a private property sign.
That’s what makes up a small plot of land near Spaulding and Frankfort in Muskogee.
A woman is living on the backside of the land, and neighbors around it feel unsafe.
Floyd Jones lives just south of the land. 2 News listened to his comments at a recent city council meeting.
“My grandkids are scared to go out in my backyard for all the yelling and profanity and things,” Jones said.
The woman represents just one example of homelessness. A growing problem in Muskogee and across the country.
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Police chief Johnny Teehee knows all about it.
“It’s the main topic everywhere we go,” Teehee said at a recent city council meeting.
Neighbors near Spaulding and Frankfort feel unsafe and uncomfortable.
“She’s using the bathroom in a bucket and burning it at night when everyone’s asleep,” Jones said “I go out on the front porch and I can’t stand it.”
The land is privately owned, so it comes down to a question of code enforcement. Jones claims he’s contacted police but hasn’t had much help.
2 News reached out to Teehee, but could not coordinate time for an interview.
“There’s no answer to [homelessness],” Teehee said, “There’s nothing that we are … there’s no secret to fixing it.”
Jones says it’s a sad situation all around and feels helpless.
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