Pete’s Place remains committed to safety and service

There are moments that jolt us into a renewed awareness of the intricate challenges of serving individuals experiencing homelessness. One such moment occurred near the Interfaith Community Shelter at Pete’s Place on Wednesday, when a man who had caused a disturbance at nearby Café Castro engaged in an intense confrontation with police that ended with him being wounded by gunshots outside the shelter fence.

We at the shelter are still reeling from the incident. Several of our staff and guests were close to the line of fire and were lying on the ground in fear.

The safety and well-being of our staff, guests and neighboring community is the shelter’s foremost priority. Even though there is no record that the man who engaged with police has ever spent a night at the shelter, the incident highlights the complexities of providing support services to people experiencing homelessness; people who are marginalized and grappling with issues such as mental illness, substance abuse and histories of trauma and abuse. They urgently need compassion, understanding and access to an array of resources, including affordable housing and mental health services, which are in painfully short supply in our community.

There are some who want to point a finger, to attribute crimes or disruptions in the Cerrillos Road corridor to the presence of a homeless shelter in the area. They don’t stop to think of where all the people inside the shelter would congregate if Pete’s Place didn’t exist. This incident highlights our continued need for cooperation and coordination with the Santa Fe Police Department, and the shelter is working closely with the department to come up with even more ideas for preventing people from congregating along Harrison Road. The shelter cannot dictate behavior to people outside its gates; we can provide services to people who come inside and who adhere to our policies that deny services if they loiter on the street. So far, these policies have helped keep Harrison Road safer and less congested.

Blaming the shelter’s presence for crime on Cerrillos Road oversimplifies

the complex societal issue of homelessness and ignores its underlying causes and the entire community’s obligation to be a part of the solution. If a larger location and funding presented itself where we could provide even more life-stabilizing services during the day, we would be elated. In the meantime, the Interfaith Community Shelter at Pete’s Place is steadfast in its commitment to providing hope and a safe place for this incredibly vulnerable population while striving to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone involved.