Police make rare camping arrest after complaints from hikers spur crackdown

Hanson Pines has been the site of several illegal encampments this month (Courtesy photo)

ROCHESTER - Following the report of encampments routinely sprouting up in Hanson Pines and a fire and explosion at one of those encampments earlier this month, Rochester Police are beginning to patrol the area, arresting a 31-year-old man there on Saturday for illegally camping on city property.
Rochester Police Capt. Todd Pinkham said they have made repeated attempts to make the public, including transients, aware of the city's policy, but reports of tenters continue to persist.
"Over the past couple of weeks we were made aware of some campsites in the Hanson Pines that were concerning to people utilizing the trails," he said on Wednesday. "We also had a fire at the location of a site there as well. As a result, officers were conducting a patrol of the Hanson Pines Park (on Saturday) when they noticed another tent/campsite."
The man was arrested and served with a hand summons for a violation-level offense for camping in the Hanson Pines.

The fire and explosion was called into police dispatch on Sept. 16 around 6:45 p.m. When police and fire arrived they found a raging fire behind Dominicus Court not far from Spaulding High School.

Amid the blaze they found what appeared to be an encampment in a wooded area, however no occupants were found at the site, according to a release from the city. The Rochester Fire Department was able to extinguish the fire quickly.

The city's policy makes it unlawful to camp or park any vehicle or recreational vehicle either overnight or for any two-hour period between dusk and dawn on any city-owned land within Rochester.