HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 6A - Safe and Managed Public Spaces UpdateSafe and
Managed
Spaces Update Boulder City CouncilAugust 4, 20221
2
•Jan 2021: Overview of Impacts on
community
•April 2021: 18-month Pilot Proposed
•Summer 2021: Tent and Propane Ordinance
adopted and Funding appropriated
•Year 1
•Standing up programs with intention
•Developing policies, procedures, reporting,
resident communication
•All work done legally and compassionately
Timeline
3
Background
Challenges Associated with Camping
Fire Hazards
Biohazards
Trash
Health and Safety of City Staff
Impacts on Police Resources
Crime
Unhoused Victimization
Drug Usage
Community Harm
A Cross -
Departmental,
Holistic Approach
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Program Goals
1.No camping in public spaces
2.Individuals experiencing homelessness are
connected to Coordinated Entry services
3.Access to public space and public
infrastructure is not impeded
4.Reduction in crime and disorder in
designated areas of emphasis
5.Visitors have access to knowledgeable
resources or city services
6.Maintenance crews can safely access
critical infrastructure in public spaces
7.Waterways are free of contamination
•Establish a cross -agency, multi -sector
response
•Engage encampment residents to
solution-based services
•Conduct comprehensive and coordinated
outreach
•Address basic needs and provide storage
•Ensure access to shelter or housing
options
•Develop pathways to permanent housing
and supports
•Create a plan for what will happen to
encampment sites after closure
US Interagency
Council on
Homelessness
Principles for
Addressing
Encampments
5
•Boulder Creek
Management Plan:
Deferred to 2023
•Sharps Containers in Urban
Parks: Pilot in place
•Civic Area Activation
•Arts in the Park
•Library Skate Area
6
Other Efforts
7
Presence Implemented Urban Parks Ranger Program
Created and
recruited for lead
and rangers
Established
operating
procedures and
training program
•Provide a visible presence
•Encourage compliance with quality-of-life issues
•Engage with business contacts
•Perform social service outreach & referrals
•Share hospitality & information
•Support special events
•Collect and share data & metrics
•Perform custodial, beautification, and maintenance
services
Presence
Created Downtown
Ambassador Program
Ambassadors
support hospitable
and safe spaces
8
9
Ambassador Actions Related to Public Safety
Incidents are dominated by
graffiti removal (approx. 68%)
Other primary activities
include public safety work
primarily related to:
•Large trash clean up
•Cleaning up broken glass
•Contacting emergency
services
466
350
265
312
217
67 59
211
599
667
584
199
July 2021 Aug. 2021 Sept. 2021 Oct. 2021 Nov. 2021 Dec. 2021 Jan. 2022 Feb. 2022 March 2022 April 2022 May 2022 June 2022
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Safety Support
Supported
Efforts with
Dedicated
Police Unit
Added three
officers
Implemented Tent
and Propane
Ordinance
Anticipate
onboarding fourth
officer in
September
Safety Support
11
Crime concentrates at camping locations
This is evidenced by crime reports and
calls for service
These concentrations occur at camps
identified by police and by community
members
6.1X more Crime
7.6X more Violent Crime
5.3X more Property Crime
3X higher Victimization Rate
September 2021 –August 1, 2022
414 Police Identified Camp Sites
46 Arsons or Built Fires on Public Property
Within 350ft of Camps…
Outreach and Engagement
12
Transitioned to
Coordinated
Entry linked
approach
Recalibrated
BTHERE
program
BTHERE Dashboard
Number of
Interactions
Number of People
receiving Coordinated
Entry (CE) screening on-
site
Number of people
receiving Diversion on-
site
Number of people experiencing homelessness BTHERE interacted with by day
28%
1%
43%
1%
2%15%
1%
9%
Solo
Couldn't Locate
Encampment
Encampment Small Group
Encampment Solo
Small Group
Small Group Other
Small Group Solo
13
Data and Solution Oriented
Improved reporting
and community
response
mechanisms
Deployed Standard
Operating
Procedures
Identified
Program Goals
14
Clean Up
and Space
Maintenance
Established Internal
Operations Team
•112 tons of debris collected
•486 camping sites addressed since
Feb 2021
•53 sites with fire rings/propane
•5,100 needles collected
•Prioritization approach created
•Property storage established
•Mapping/community reporting tools
updated
Prioritization
Processes
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•Life/Safety Risk
•Proximity to school, park with
playground, or public residence
•Impact on neighborhood livability
•Size of camp
•Restricts maintenance/city
personnel activity OR blocks public
access
•Reports of crime/threats of
violence
•Repeat location
Clean Up schedule determined by
staff capacity and the following
factors:
Encourage voluntary
removal of items by camp
site resident
Staff addresses
uncontaminated private
property, following
policy, for storage
Items are stored
in secure location
for up to 60 days
Staff meets with former
campsite residents and
facilitates item retrieval
If items not retrieved
by deadline, items
are removed from
storage
Effort made to connect
important documents
directly to former camp
site residents through
outreach
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Storage Processes and Policy
Measures
•Initial goals set as
visionary and aspirational
•Metrics designed to
provide measurement
toward aspirational goals
•Currently reviewing
performance
measurement system
•Graphs show some
indicators of the goals –
not designed to be the
only measures
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No camping in public spaces
Individuals experiencing
homelessness are
connected to Coordinated
Entry services
Access to public space
and infrastructure is not
impeded
Reduction in crime and
disorder in designated
areas of emphasis
Visitors have access to
knowledgeable resources
or city services
Waterways are free of
contamination
Maintenance crews
can safety access
critical infrastructure in
public spaces SAFECOMPASSIONATELY MANAGEDINVITING
HOSPITABLEWELCOMINGACCESSIBLEENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLEINFORMED MEASURED RESPONSIVE
Goal: No Camping in Public Spaces
18
The total number of reports of campsites and observed structures continue to stay at high levels. This mirrors growth in the
number of unique public reports.
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
Aug.
2020
Sept.
2020
Oct.
2020
Nov.
2020
Dec.
2020
Jan.
2021
Feb.
2021
March
2021
April
2021
May
2021
June
2021
July
2021
Aug.
2021
Sept.
2021
Oct.
2021
Nov.
2021
Dec.
2021
Jan.
2022
Feb.
2022
March
2022
April
2022
May
2022
Reports of Camping
Total Reports Vs Unique Reporters
Total Reports Unique Public Reporters Unique Employee Reporters
Clean-up teams
continue to identify
campsites in and
adjacent to waterway
infrastructure in
approximately 33% of
inspected sites.
Goal: Waterways Are Free of Contamination
192015162919273031 33OCT. 2021 NOV. 2021 DEC. 2021 JAN. 2022 FEB. 2022 MARCH 2022 APRIL 2022 MAY 2022 JUNE 2022
Observed Structures In or Adjacent to Waterways
20
Goal: Visitors Have Access to Knowledgeable Resources on
City Services
2,575
2,995
2,587
3,604 3,589
2,462
2,037 2,317
5,789 6,037
6,818
6,000
5,424
July
2021
Aug.
2021
Sept.
2021
Oct.
2021
Nov.
2021
Dec.
2021
Jan.
2022
Feb.
2022
March
2022
April
2022
May
2022
June
2022
July
2022
Ambassador Hospitality and Business Contacts
Downtown
Ambassadors are
recording an average
of 4,018 contacts per
month, primarily along
Pearl Street
Goal: Access to Public Space and Public Infrastructure Is Not Impeded
21
The proportion of sites inspected with access issues stayed at approximately 20% in June. Year-over-year bike volumes
at downtown count sites in June were similar to June 2021. Note: the southbound bike sensor at Folsom and Boulder
Creel was broken April-June 2022. As such, graph only includes northbound bike traffic.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Oct.
2021
Nov.
2021
Dec.
2021
Jan.
2022
Feb.
2022
March
2022
April
2022
May
2022
June
2022
Inspected Access Issues
-0.3
-0.1
0.1
0.3
0.5
0.7
0.9
1.1
July
2021
Aug.
2021
Sept.
2021
Oct.
2021
Nov.
2021
Dec.
2021
Jan.
2022
Feb.
2022
March
2022
April
2022
May
2022
June
2022
Percent Change in Bike Volume
Compared to Prior Year
•Full implementation and analysis
•Staffing in place
•Expanding geographic reach
•Areas not associated with waterways or
critical environmental concern
Future Areas of
Focus
22
Questions/
Discussion
01 Boulder City CouncilAugust 4, 202223