As part of Tempe’s initiative to combat homelessness, the city has created a park safety program meant to improve city parks and support those experiencing homelessness.
This effort is the result of a collaboration of the city’s human services, police, community services, neighborhood services, and communication and media relations departments after the council “emphasized safety for all community members and not criminalizing homelessness” throughout parks at a recent work session.
For several years, the task force has been working towards ensuring that the city is focused on providing services and support to individuals experiencing homelessness while also finding proactive ways to address issues and concerns that come along, Paul Bentley, deputy human services director, explained.
