ATLANTA, GA — The City of Atlanta has begun the process of clearing an encampment where homeless man Cornelius Taylor was killed during a clearing in January.

Atlanta Police Major Jeff Cantin says their role at the Old Wheat Street site today is to provide safety and security.

“We assist in transportation, and we assist in other things that are needed. We do not criminalize the homeless. We try to communicate with them, give them assistance, … get them to resources, or connect them with resources.”

He says they had success with a similar closure of a Pryor Street homeless camp recently, with zero arrests and zero fights.

However, local activist Tim Franzen says, “when you sweep these things, if there is somebody in that camp that is ready for housing, shame on us for sweeping them into another encampment.”

The city says it has secured 500 housing units where they can stay for at least a year.

Officials have been going tent to tent, ensuring people are out and getting their housing set up.

In February, the Atlanta city council agreed to prohibit the use of heavy equipment to clear homeless camps in Atlanta.