“The long and short of it is, none of the information has been substantiated.”
According to multiple sources present at a mid-October Camp Hope operational meeting, Spokane’s interim city attorney Lynden Smithson alleged the nonprofit Jewels Helping Hands is engaged in illicit activities involving guns and drugs at Camp Hope.
These allegations would have dire consequences if substantiated. Jewels Helping Hands has played an integral role in the day-to-day functioning of the encampment. If they were found guilty of running or participating in a criminal enterprise at the camp, the repercussions would stretch into every aspect of the Camp Hope community, and beyond, as residents of Camp Hope represent a significant portion of the county's total unhoused population.
There’s also reason for serious concern that these allegations were made but apparently not corroborated by the city in any way to state officials, who own the land and are currently providing funding to the organization. This lack of transparency creates the appearance that the city either is unwilling to share vital information with the state or that it does not have sufficient evidence to back up its claims, but made the claims anyway.
The meetings where this information was shared occur on a weekly basis between state agency representatives, Empire Health Foundation and officials from both Spokane City and County. They are supposed to be operational in nature and focused on nuts and bolts questions like whether the city can help provide utilities like water and power to the camp. These meetings are also intended to be free of politics. Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich had attended some of these meetings but was asked to no longer come after meeting leaders decided having politicians in the meetings had become a distraction. He ultimately created a parallel meeting and command structure last week.
