PHOTO: A Tent City resident was found dead at the encampment this morning, sources tell TLS. Police were called to the homeless camp at about 9:30 a.m. this morning, and reportedly found the man dead in his living quarters.
The death is not deemed suspicious, Detective Greg Staffordsmith tells TLS.
Lakewood’s Detective Bureau, the Prosecutor’s Office and CIU are investigating the death.
If they have an official census and it is not allowed to grow then by now they should almost not have people there. Because, in the past few weeks we go down abt 3/week. So subtract that from 75 ‘legal’ tent city residents and we will be down to zero very soon.
Lakewood township can keep their $250k.
I think the most appropriate comment here was right when the story broke it said “No Comments”.
Wow. Amazing how Judge Foster & those who want them to stay are considered compassionate & those of us who want them out are considered heartless & cruel.
Smoke Inhalation?
3 – your comment is right on the mark as usual. My heart goes out to these people and I wish they would allow themselves to be helped before any more tragedies occur
To #4 LFD – No, not smoke inhalation. He froze to death.
When someone is drinking, it lowers their body temp. Add freezing temps to that and this is what happens. So sad.
To #3 you are right and #7 how do you know drinking was the problem?
To: #6,#7.
You know this for a fact from reading the story, wow you are good.
Sorry for the resident who died. It is time to end Tent City. Why wasn’t he able to spend the night in a warm place? There is plenty of firewood all around the place. Many wood stoves also. Why isn’t Minister Steve allowing people to stay in his propane heated RV that he parks in the center of Tent City, or maybe one of his female friends’ RV? I am sure they are never without heat. And ditto Judge Foster ( Jog a thon) . Real compassion would have gotten these people out of here and back into the real world. Most of these people are NOT from Lakewood , but the minister allows them to move into Tent City. One woman came all the way from to Tent City and she got housing help after a few months of living there , while others have waited for years trying to get out of Tent City . The compassionate thing to do is to offer housing with conditions .
It seems so heartless that the Tent City website barely acknowledges deaths in the camp, yet does everything they can to promote that movie about Tent City. Minister Steve has no compassion or maybe he feels really guilty about refusing the hotel rooms from Judge Foster in 2011 and he is trying to avoid facing the fact that many people are dying in Tent City and there are more to come .
Sad, and the area residents complain because of the smoke from their fires..it was keeping them warm. I guess people just dont care about others
Where does it say he was drinking? Maybe he was sick!! Stop jumping to conclusion !!!!
the township should get rid of tent city and maybe u wont hear so many people dying and a lot of fires from tent city !!!!!!!! the township should threat them to leave
Some of you people are legit heartless, Who are they hurting by living in the woods? Would you rather them wander around town? The only difference between there shelters and our houses is money, Some of you people will only realize when you are in their situation yourself. I know someone who lives there because his house caught fire and he lost his wife and 2 year old son. Not everyone lives there because they choose to, some people have no other choice.
Jack, I do have compassion for them. I wish better for them than a flimsy tent or shanty…. I hope better solutions are found for them all very soon so they don’t have to deal with the upcoming winter…
Save the 250 k for the lawsuit and do what Bloomberg did to the ‘occupy’ protesters…..
Let me tell all of you heartless people that have no right to make jugdgements about tent city. I was homeless pregnant with my fiancé living on the streets when no one would help us tell we met mister Steve thank god for him he saved me and my unborn child and my fiancé by giving us shelter and food and clothes. My fiancé pasted away in tent city 2 months after I gave birth and it’s very hard for me and to read people that have money warm beds a warm home and fresh clean clothes on their backs to make comments about the people that are struggling to live today and down grate them because they are homeless people living in the woods. Never jugde people when you never know things can happen to you. Have a heart people and thank you again Minster Steve,and Charlie I love you all you saved my life Love always Diane
These Tent City residents need homes and medical treatment. They don’t need to spend another winter in the woods. maybe a solution would be to open up a shelter. Let them have one free week, after that charge 25% of their income for rent. If they don’t want to pay for housing, kick them out BUT make sure that a anti vagrancy law is in effect first. If shelter is offered , but they don’t comply, then the town is off the hook. Also make them blow into the machine that analyzes their breath for drugs or alcohol. It will be far better for the town to make a shelter, than to let Steve Brigham open a shelter. Brigham is an enabler.