CHARLESTON, W.Va. — More than two dozen people are behind bars following a sweep of city parks in downtown Charleston before the start of the Sternwheel Regatta festival.
Charleston Police made arrests Thursday evening before the Regatta kicked off Friday.
Rachel Rubin with the Kanawha County Public Defender’s Office told Charleston City Council Monday morning people were kicked out of city parks after the 11 p.m. curfew, and many were homeless individuals.
“Over 25 people were booked at South Central (Regional Jail) on Thursday. Over the course of the last couple of days, 16 people have been charged for sleeping in a public park, 11 are being held on nothing else. That means it’s coming out of the city’s jail bill to incarcerate these people for six days,” Rubin explained during a public hearing in front of city council.
According to Rubin, the city spent $48.25 per day per person “in order to disappear people that the city did not want to be part of Regatta.”
Charleston Municipal Court Judge Matt Smith canceled court this Wednesday. Rubin said her office most likely filed bond motions before 3 p.m. Friday for every person who was arrested.
“It is the city judge’s discretion to not have ruled on those bond motions. Those people don’t have a prayer of getting out of jail before Thursday,” she said.
Councilman Joe Solomon urged Judge Smith to return to the bench before Thursday.
“One area where it seems like where we can reduce the harm of the arrests that have been made since court has been closed since last Thursday is to ask Judge Smith to return to the bench before Thursday – today, Tuesday, Wednesday – and help clear out some of these cases,” Solomon said.
Solomon he spent some time at the Manna Meal parking lot Saturday and said people are concerned about the arrests.
“I overheard one person share ‘Either all of my friends just died or they’ve been swept away to jail’ and I don’t think they all just died. That really resonated,” he said.
Councilmember Chelsea Steelhammer also spoke against the sweeps Monday and said it’s not a good look for the city.
“We’re hearing a lot from folks that are concerned about. It’s just not looking good. They’re not good optics when we have 25 people arrested in one day the day before Regatta starts,” Steelhammer said.
Ruben ended her public comment by calling the situation “embarrassing.”
Meanwhile, Councilman Bruce King praised city police for patrolling the area.
“I’d just like to say thank you to our law enforcement agency for doing their jobs all year round, not just right before Regatta,” he said.
Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin did not comment on the issue.