Wyoming Mayor Says ‘Third-World Stuff’ Happening in City Overrun With Homeless People

Traffic backs up on Highway 25 leaving Casper in Douglas, Wyoming, on Aug. 21, 2017. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

A city in Wyoming has been overwhelmed with a growing number of homeless people, who have damaged a local hotel that would require millions of dollars to fix and left hundreds of pounds of human feces in the downtown area, according to its mayor.

Casper Mayor Bruce Knell, in an interview with local news media Cowboy State Daily published on Aug. 31, said the city’s homeless population had topped about 200 people, creating “a mess” as they roam the city’s parks and streets.

“It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen. It’s third-world country stuff happening in Casper, Wyoming,” Mr. Knell said.

“They destroyed everything,” he added. “It’s horrible.”

Casper is Wyoming’s second most populous city, with a population of nearly 60,000, second behind the state’s capital, Cheyenne.

According to the mayor, the city’s vacant Econo Lodge motel, which had been closed due to flooding, was taken over by homeless people, who caused millions in destruction.

Pictures of the motel rooms published by the outlet show trash, towels, and bed sheets littered across the floors.

The city subsequently condemned the motel, and the bank that owned the property had to board it up to prevent homeless people from entering.

“It was inhabitable, and it was unsafe,” Mr. Knell said.

Other homeless people have moved into abandoned properties with no electricity or running water, the mayor said.