Councilman Tom Simplot and Mayor Phil Gordon
Arizona Republic Our Turn Column

December 2004

City's Parks, Playgrounds not Campsites

Even before either of us was elected to the City Council, one of our goals has been to make Phoenix a place where "Families Come First."

That is at the very heart of the Front Porch Bench initiative. It's what every dollar we put into public safety is all about. It's why we fund after-school programs and libraries, and sponsor events like "Movies in the Park."

We understand the importance of family. And we know you do, too.

That's why the Phoenix City Council recently passed an ordinance prohibiting daytime camping in city parks. A park is a family place.

We recognize that we need to provide food, shelter and important services to the homeless. We have an obligation to do what we can to help those who need and want assistance. And we take that obligation seriously.

In fact, the city of Phoenix is committed to addressing homelessness at every level, and we have a long record of commitment that we point to with pride.

In the last fiscal year, the city invested $5.8 million assisting people who were homeless. We were able to serve more than 30,000 people - offering them emergency shelter, transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, employment-related services, life skills training, behavioral health services, health care, substance abuse treatment, child care, disability claims services, legal services and community voice-mail boxes. An additional 50,000 people called our shelter hotline and were provided with information and referrals.

Our Human Services Department administered 44 homeless-related projects with various local, state and federal funds. We operate a Winter Overflow Shelter as well as summer and winter respite programs. We fund the CASS Shelter for the Homeless to the tune of more than three-quarters of a million dollars.

We do all that - and more.

Our recent action to ban daytime camping in city parks should not be read as a city turning its back on the homeless. The ordinance applies to us all, and is long overdue.

A city park is not a campground. Kids play there. They run, toss baseballs and jump rope. It's a place where you and I can go to get lost in our thoughts or watch our kids and grandkids have fun. It's a family place. Attempting to play around a makeshift campground can be unsafe and unhealthy for everyone - including the homeless. As our acting parks director, L.B. Scacewater, told The Republic, "It's disheartening for neighbors to see people camped out and then wonder, 'Is it safe to send my children there?' "

Taking a nap on the grass, or a bench, won't be a violation. But anyone who uses a bedroll or sleeping bag, builds a fire, or otherwise sets up a campsite, can be removed or cited.

We would respectfully ask those who view our ban on daytime camping as some kind of punitive measure, aimed squarely at the homeless, to take a few moments to stop and think about all the ways we reach out to the homeless population in Phoenix.

We are resolute in our commitment to the homeless and to your family. We are not rolling back our support for either; we look for additional ways to assist both. We recognize, better than most do, that the rights we all enjoy are not dependent on whether or not we have a permanent address, a job or a dinner table. Rights are rights. The homeless have them. Your family has them.

In Phoenix, we want to protect those rights for everyone.

Phil Gordon is mayor of Phoenix. Councilman Simplot represents District 4, which encompasses central and west Phoenix. He can be reached at 602-262-744 or tom.simplot@phoenix.gov.