Concerns over homelessness at Bryant Park spill into downtown Lake Worth Beach
LAKE WORTH BEACH, Fla. — The growing homeless population at Bryant Park is raising safety and business concerns in downtown Lake Worth Beach. Business owners said the issue is starting to affect foot traffic, particularly during the slower summer months.Andy Amoroso, who has owned The Tacky Tourist downtown for more than 30 years, said the situation has worsened over time. He recently intervened when a homeless individual aggressively approached three elderly women walking downtown.
"They panhandle, they get right up on people," Amoroso said. "And if you're a tourist or visitor, you don't feel safe."
A recently passed Florida statute now allows residents and business owners to sue local governments that knowingly permit overnight sleeping in public spaces. Lake Worth Beach prohibits camping in parks, but enforcement is limited. Meanwhile, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office (PBSO) must weigh the city's policies, state law, and its own internal rules before removing individuals.
Read more... at WPTV.
Will they ever clean up this stupid town?
ReplyDeleteThe commissioners and mayor will be complicit in a crime against the legal residents of Lake Worth if they continue to allow criminals to hang around the kids park at Bryant, and to approve of the handing out of clean hypodermic syringes to drug addict criminals. Let me be clear on this, and I will say this at the next Town Hall I have time to attend.
ReplyDeleteThe vast majority, if not 100 % of all drug addicts being supplied with fresh needles ---will be using this for illegal drug use, and these are criminals committing crimes beyond just illegal drug use...most are augmenting their monthly income with criminal enterprises, otherwise there would not be sufficient gainful employment to cover their food expenses for a given month....lot less their beer and cigarette expenses. I am afraid we may have some SICK people in our town government that think it is ok to encourage criminals, potentially dangerous ones, to spend hours in Bryant Park --sitting in the Family picnic building at the far south end of the park, preventing families from being safe to use the park facilities.
Do you think that we, the towns-people of Lake Worth, paid all the money into Bryant Park so that homeless and criminals could hang out in the Kids play or family picnic area? If we did not spend all this money for this purpose, why is it suddenly alright for the commissioners to approve of the criminal element being encouraged to hang out for hours each day, in the family areas? If your IQ is above 70, you know that feeding the homeless in the park is going to draw more and more homeless to the park...and more and more criminal element. It is irrelevant that some homeless are honest and not criminals--too many that have been lured to the park by free food, handouts, and free needles have already begun PUSHING THE GOOD FAMILIES OUT OF THE PARK. This is disgusting, there is no excuse for it, and we need to have a "COME TO JESUS" SESSION at the next commission meeting over this. If I hear that ANY commissioner wants to keep these criminals and homeless hanging out in the kids park....If I hear that any commissioners want to continue the practice of Luring these UNDESIRABLES to the park, then I will plan to begin a movement in town to have the disgusting individual removed from office. Every good resident in Lake Worth should be with me in this.
Once again, pbso lets us down
ReplyDeleteWhen you get to the point of the homeless living in the park, (Bryant, or any other Park) they should be removed, evaluated, and placed in a facility that best can cope with their particular malady. It's a tough job, protecting yourself from the homeless, and protecting the homeless from others and themselves, but it's usually a state job, and pays well with a large pension.
ReplyDeleteProblem is, nobody wants to do any kind of work, and they are all waiting for the robot to tie their shoelaces. When you can't bend down and put your own shoe on, I think you belong in the home with the homeless, and maybe we can get some Chinese people over here, to show us how it's done.
PBSO will tell you that they can only follow the guidelines set by this city. One officer specifically said "your mayor won't allow us to arrest them for trespassing" when they are on private property.
ReplyDeleteLast monthly Sheriff's meeting the Captain did say they will arrest trespassers on repeat trespass. They take this seriously. ...but it appears our commissioners do not care about the residents and their legal and ethical rights.
ReplyDeleteThey have to have a place to put them. Picking them up and keeping them for a day or two, serves no purpose. They belong in the state hospital. Do we have a state hospital? If they can be identified, we should be able to send them to the state hospital of their last place of domicile. Why act so stupid about it. Maybe they can be helped, maybe not. Not our call. Just pick them up and start the process. Maybe some of them are not even US residents. Do something!
ReplyDeleteYes the city needs to decide WHEonlyRE to put illegals and homeless and drug addicts.
ReplyDeleteShould that place be a kids park or a kindergarten or a primary lifestyle resource for families with young children?
Only a criminal politician could support such a filthy agenda,,,
Filthy Marxist Mcvoy you stupid retards don’t want delray here so this is what you get pinhead!
DeleteI don' think you can blame the Police for this. So what are they supposed to do with them? This is strictly a matter for the legislators. They are not going to do anything because it costs money to house and treat the homeless. And when I say treat them, I really mean just feeding and clothing them, because I doubt there is very little you could do to turn them into productive humans again. Thanks, President Reagan for closing the mental institutions. I wish you could be here to observe the results of your decision.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous at 1:31...Now, left-wing nut job, you are blaming this on President Reagan? Please check into the nearest hospital. If you want to put blame somewhere, blame it on the last 4 years of Marxist decisions of our government or put the blame where it belongs--on this Commission as a whole for not passing laws protecting the citizens of LWB.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Commissioner McVoy is concerned, he cares about our city unlike you. You have one hell of a nerve. Everyone up there was a Democrat...EVERYONE. Blame it on Democrat decisions.
There were others besides Reagan who presided over the closing of the institutions. I doubt if Reagan could have seen the problem metastasis to the extent that it has, although there was plenty of drug use in those days. You don't have to be a communist to see that things aren't going well on the homeless scene. As far as checking into a hospital, how long do you think they would keep you.
ReplyDelete