Encampment sanitation in Wayne County is handled primarily by Detroit through DPW cleanups coordinated with HAND outreach teams, while county parks staff manage encampments on Wayne County land using a combination of notice, outreach, and removal.
Detroit cleanups follow a posted-notice process that allows occupants 72 hours to relocate possessions, with the Coordinated Assessment Model linking displaced residents to shelter intake. Wayne County Parks rangers respond to encampments along the Rouge River corridor, Hines Park, and Elizabeth Park using a similar notice-and-outreach approach before sanitation crews remove debris. The Wayne County Department of Public Health coordinates with Detroit DHD on hepatitis A prevention, syringe disposal, and rodent control near long-running camps. Outright criminalization is rare; the framework emphasizes harm reduction and warm hand-offs to shelters operated through HAND and Wayne Metro CAA partnerships.
Refusing to relocate after notice, dumping hazardous waste, or interfering with sanitation crews can lead to citations, debris confiscation, and trespass charges in egregious cases on county or city land.
See how Livonia's encampment sanitation rules stack up against other locations.
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