ST. PAUL — Police have cleared a homeless camp in St. Paul, ordering its inhabitants to leave the encampment where about two dozen people have lived since last spring.

Officers, social workers and volunteers helped pack up tents and other possessions Thursday near the Cathedral of St. Paul above Interstate 35-E. The Minnesota Department of Transportation posted no trespassing signs. The camp’s population about doubled over the summer, but began declining when city officials began conducting weekly cleanings.

A temporary winter shelter at a former detox center which opens each night at 10 p.m. and closes at 9 a.m. was offered to the campers as an option. Many weren’t sure where they would go. One couple said they would head to a much larger encampment in Minneapolis.