 Called " a cemetery for the living " , it was reported in 2007 that between 30 and 135 homeless people were squatting in the Grove Church Cemetery . An investigation had been brought on by a sexual assault of a woman , who was near the <unk> Avenue Station of the Hudson Bergen Light Rail , and by knife @-@ point was brought into the cemetery and assaulted . Upon searching the grounds , police found remnants of living activity , namely mattresses , pillows , and blankets , as well as garbage strewn across the lawn . Also , small shacks had been built along the perimeter . To the dismay of neighbors , who had complained about the noise and feeling unsafe , there was not much that the police could do to remove the people off of the premises ; there is no law against loitering in public places . One victim , however , claimed that there were bronze urns stolen from his relative 's tomb , and Reverend Douglas Shepler , the pastor of the Grove Reformed Church , reported a woman visiting a grave had her necklace ripped off and stolen by one of the men . In addition , the Reformed Grove Church had been supporting the homeless by providing them with meals , as it is within their rights and devotion to charity that they will not turn away anyone seeking help . It has a few times over the course of several years removed the homeless who were squatting there , but they manage to relocate there . 
