In wake of park closures, homeless encampments pop up on nearby streets

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A day after city crews closed three parks in the urban core, homeless encampments are popping up on nearby streets.

The city has closed for maintenance Old Stadium Park, Moiliili Community Park and Crane Park. The three parks are set to reopen Nov. 5.

The closures are the latest in a series of shutdowns at city parks with homeless encampments.

But officials deny that's the reason for the closure, insisting it's so crews can do maintenance work.

Last month, Hawaii News Now reported that residents who lived near the Old Stadium Park said it had turned into a haven for illegal drug use.

At least 84 people have been arrested in Old Stadium Park since the start of 2018, and more than 300 citations have been issued to park users during that stretch — the majority of them for being in the park after hours.

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