His victim was a 76 year old man from Bakersfield, and his 13 year old grandson. A third party was inside the store. Walmart has what began as a well intended policy of allowing overnight camping in the parking lot for nice people like these unfortunate victims so they can rest, buy products the next morning, and continue their journey, but that policy is being badly abused by criminals and nair-do-wells who live in their vehicles as a lifestyle. These people stay for weeks, or months, until customers complain enough that Walmart makes them leave. Other criminals are living in the wooded area beside Walmart, across from the hospital in the woods around the water tower, and in the woods behind the DMV. Supervisor Gitlin cleaned out the woods beside Walmart 2 or 3 years ago. After much protest from Supervisors Finigan and McClure, he posted official county signage to stay out of those woods on county owned property, but the camps have returned anyway. Earlier this year Supervisor Gitlin wanted to use volunteers from his Take a Bite out of Blight program to clean out the homeless camps beside Walmart again, but Finigan and McClure blocked him — now look what has happened! The drinking, drug use and selling, panhandling, loitering, vehicle and bicycle theft, vehicle break ins, and general lawlessness at in the Walmart parking lot, next to the building, and in the woods, has grown into epic proportions. Walmart needs to better patrol the parking lot, but they say there is nothing they can do because it is “company policy” to allow all this lawlessness in their parking lot. Let’s face it, without tourist dollars, this county would dry up and die. How does this look to tourists? These poor people will never stop here again, and as the word continues to spread like wildfire, other travelers will avoid stopping here whatsoever. Since Walmart will not properly patrol it’s own parking lot, and the Sheriff’s Dept. can only remove people at Walmart’s request, because it is private property, I urge a campaign of phone calls and letters to Walmart corporate headquarters and demand they force local management to bring safe conditions to this store. Phone, (479) 273-4000 or 1-800-WALMART — Address. 702 Southwest 8th Street, Bentonville, AR 72712; Bentonville, Arkansas 72712. I also urge everyone to show up at the Board Of Supervisors meetings when the new majority of “law and order” Board of Supervisors begins meeting in January. Ask them to finally allow Gitlin’s crew of free and donated-labor volunteers to drain that swamp of illegal camps around Walmart.