Cheyenne Police: ‘We’re Not Harassing Homeless People and Taking Their Stuff’

A spokesman for the Cheyenne Police Department says recent claims that the cops are taking homeless people's belongings simply aren't true.

"If they're just walking around, just homeless, it's not against the law," said Officer David Inman. "We're not going to take any enforcement action and just take their stuff."

"The only reason we're going to take their stuff is if they've been arrested," added Inman. "The jail won't take a lot of their property because it's oversized stuff, so we put it in safe keeping until they get released."

Inman says the city will do cleanups when "couches, clothes, food and everything else" starts piling up under the overpasses and in the tunnels where the homeless camp out, but he says people get "plenty of warning" to pack up their stuff and head out.

"Every time we try to contact people," said Inman. "We tell them, 'I know you're trying to stay warm, but you're also trespassing and you've got a chance of losing all your stuff if the city comes out and cleans it out.'"

"We're not just harassing homeless people and taking their stuff," he added. "It definitely would be a violation of someone's civil rights."