Calgary Police are saying that the costs of cleaning up an encampment that was located in southeast Calgary could cost in the tens of thousands, after its closure in late February.

CPS was alerted to the presence of the encampment, located in the Starfield Industrial Area, after numerous reports at the end of 2023 of threats and violence at the site.

Some of those threats were said by police to have included firearms, hammers, and axes. At that time, police were unable to locate either offenders or victims.

“While we lead with compassion and connection to resources, public safety remains our priority. Violence will not be tolerated and complete disregard for the wellbeing of our public lands is not acceptable behaviour in our community,” said District 6 Community Resource Officer, Sgt. Trent Barker Peterson, in a prepared media release.

Police returned to the encampment in January 2024, where they found a large amount of debris, some dumped into the Forest Lawn Creek.

“The camp included a structure made of plywood with a plastic roof and a bridge over the creek that led to a hole that had been cut in a chain-link fence where a much larger camp was found. Sports equipment, stripped electric scooters, clothing, bedding and furniture were all found within,” said CPS.

Four individuals who were living in the encampment were given 30-days notice by police to move their belongings from the area and clean up the site.

Those individuals were given support from the Calgary Police Service Community Resource Officers, Calgary Community Standards Encampment Team and the Alpha House Encampment Team, according to CPS.

During the removal of the encampment, CPS said they arrested several individuals for outstanding warrants, some related to serious criminal matters including five counts of failure to appear, count of driving while unauthorized, one count of arson, and one count of fail to register with a sex offender registry.

The cleanup, which began on Feb. 21, included six construction dumpsters and heavy equipment and consisted of more than 200 cubic yards of debris and refuse.

The cost to clean up the site was estimated at $16,000, which is set to rise in the spring when crews return to remove items after the spring thaw.

In 2023, the city of Calgary spent approximately $760,000 to clean up 1,300 encampments.