Sunday report of sexual assault at Powderhorn Park is the third since late last month

Police are investigating a third reported sexual assault in less than two weeks at Powderhorn Park, where hundreds of homeless people are encamped in growing numbers with no immediate prospect of finding a more permanent place to live amid a rise in dangerous incidents.

The assaults are the most serious of the many crimes committed there since people starting putting up tents on June 10 on the expansive park south of E. Lake Street after they were evicted from a hotel.

On June 17, the Park and Recreation Board voted to allow homeless residents to stay overnight at city parks. Yet it has struggled to maintain order in the Powderhorn encampment. The number of tents on the northern end of the park has surged from 415 to 560 in the past week, the board reported Tuesday. The board estimates there are more than 800 people living there.

https://www.startribune.com/sunday-sexual-assault-at-powderhorn-park-is-the-third-since-late-last-month/571659532/