A person called police on Sunday morning, Dec. 8 to report that while she was walking her dog through Veterans Park she spotted a tent set up in the woods. 

The woman was concerned that someone might be living in the park. Police checked out the campsite — it is located near Brickyard Pond — but no one was there at the time. The woman who found the campsite told police there were items at the site that seemed to indicate someone might be living there. Police said they will continue to monitor the area. 

It is illegal to camp overnight in Veterans Park, but that ordinance has not stopped people from doing so previously. 

In the spring of 2023, some people walking in the park found a well-established campsite. Police said there were tents, storage bins, empty propane tanks and a variety of other items inside the campsite. Police later identified three men living at the campsite and ordered them to vacate the property. One of the men living there was charged with violating his bail status and was sent to the ACI. 

In July 2022, Police received a 911 call for a male party yelling and screaming in the woods behind the Bayside YMCA. Officers responded and searched the woods in Veterans Park for the individual. They eventually located the man — he was homeless and had been living in the woods with his dog. EMTs transported the man to a hospital, where he was admitted. Police brought the man’s dog to the East Providence Animal Shelter.

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