Tempe residents call for homeless in city park to be removed

TEMPE, Ariz. — Residents of Tempe are calling for the city to take action against homeless people that have taken up residence in a city park.

A number of homeless encampments have cropped up in the Tempe portion of Papago Park since this summer, raising the concerns of nearby residents who say they are afraid to use the park now, The Arizona Republic reported.

“We’ve seen more aggressive behavior from some of these homeless people. There are big men who feel uncomfortable walking there,” said Darlene Justus, a north Tempe resident who worked with others to lobby the City Council earlier this year to designate the park as a protected area.

In October a group of eight Tempe residents, including Justus, addressed the City Council about the homeless camps. Many said they were concerned about safety and trash in the park.

Lloyd Thomas, an attorney, told the council it will need to balance addressing the problem with the rights of the people living in the park.

“We can’t just kick people out. On the other hand, we have to make sure it’s safe for all of us to use, not just those who have chosen to squat there, as it were,” Thomas said. “They’re still valuable human beings, and hopefully they can find a way to get back to their whole lives. I just want you to consider all options.” Tempe Parks Manager Craig Hayton said his department has worked to address the encampments by periodically clearing trash from abandoned camps after police ask people to move out, but it doesn’t take long for the urban campers to return.

Hayton said his department has collected about 34 tons of trash from the camps since June and that cleanup is ongoing.

“Most of (the cleanup work) is laborious. You can’t get any vehicles in there. You have to pull everything out,” Hayton said.

Hayton said park workers do not enter camps until Tempe police have first made contact with people living there, giving them warning of the cleanup and encouraging them to move on. Hayton said police have not cited people for setting up camps.

The homeless encampments came under fire this summer after a blaze in June burned several trees in an adjacent riparian area.