At least 50 homeless people were displaced last week when the City of Ocala leveled a tent city.
The encampment was on city-owned land just west of Pine Avenue and north of Northeast 14th Street. There were approximately 30 tents there, and the police department had noted an increase in property and violent crime, including a stabbing the week of Jan. 25, a city spokeswoman wrote in an email to the Star-Banner.
"The property was overwhelmed with trash, abandoned tents, furniture, bicycle parts, broken toys, shopping carts, fire pits, wooden pallets, electronics, tires, empty beer and soda cans, and various types of broken glass and pottery. Areas of human waste were also observed," the email said.