PHOENIX — The trial this week over Phoenix’s largest homeless encampment is exposing just how bad things have gotten in "The Zone," just a few blocks away from the State Capitol.
More than 800 people live in the encampment, according to a count this week, with many of them susceptible to violence.
Exhibits from the trial obtained by the 12News I-Team gave new insight into the victimization of people living in the encampment, by those the city called "predatory, criminal individuals."
"I've never seen anything like it," said CJ, who said he has spent the past seven or eight months in The Zone. "Out here there is no rules. This place is like a devil’s playground."
And like other playgrounds, this one has bullies.
"They make people pay rent," CJ said. "Some people have to pay $25 a week."
That means unsheltered people are being charged money to camp on streets and sidewalks owned by the City of Phoenix.
"They tried to charge us $25 dollars per lot," CJ said, referring to him and his friend. "And that’s just from pole to pole."
"So, what do you do?" asked 12News reporter Erica Stapleton.
"You either pay or they burn your tent down, they beat you up, smack you with a pipe, crack your head open," CJ said. "Or you move."
As for who is doing this, court records obtained by the I-Team suggest it’s probably gangs.
When Judge Scott Blaney first ordered the City to clean up the encampment back in March of this year, he wrote that it seemed like organized crime had taken root in the encampment.
He even asked one of the property owners in the area about this during the trial this week.
One of the trial exhibits, a March 2023 Crime Suppression Plan from Phoenix Police, addressed the City's approach to enforcement in the neighborhood.
The first line under goals reads:
“Eradicate the violent crime caused by opposing gang factions within our target area," referring to The Zone.
The document detailed that of 40 calls for fires in the encampment at the end of last year, eight of them turned into arson investigations.
The plan prioritized weapons and drug offenses as the top two crimes. Yet, police told 12News no one has filed any official report about the extortion.
Phoenix Police Commander Brian Freudenthal took the stand during the trial, admitting things are bad. But he testified that the crime suppression plan – including more officers, more overtime, and street cameras – is working.
So far, he said property and violent crimes have gone down heading into the summer, even though they’re still higher rates than in other parts of the city.
The trial was to determine whether a judge should keep the order on the City to clear out The Zone. He's expected to issue his ruling within the next two months.
The Zone
12News offers the latest updates on one of the largest homeless encampments in Maricopa County.