An Albuquerque cemetery is dealing with trash issues that are the result of homeless people using its grounds.
Sunset Memorial Park grounds are deteriorating due to homelessness near the cemetery, according to KOAT.
“They will leave their fentanyl scraps, they will leave their needles, they will leave human waste behind, they will leave urine," said Joshua Glass, the cemetery’s executive director.
Glass added that groundskeepers are now patrolling the grounds of the property to back up hired security who have had to deal with homeless individuals looking to relieve themselves or an outlet for electricity.
“I've been with Sunset for a year and a half. It's been an ongoing issue the entire time that I've been here," he said.
Glass said they are examining removing water fountains because they are being utilized by homeless people to bathe and go to the bathroom.
Robert Daniels said homeless people frequent the property next to the cemetery because Coronado Park shut down, but he hasn’t seen a lot of trespassing.
“Not one of these homeless people at least in this general area here, no," he said.
Glass said that the cemetery ground will undergo security renovations to mitigate trespassers.
“Within this next year, we're going to be absorbing nearly $400,000 for fencing. We're putting in night vision cameras in our buildings and we've upped our security patrols,” Glass said.
