After two years of growing complaints from residents, business owners and neighborhood groups, Phoenix’s transit department will ask the City Council this week to hire a homeless outreach team.
The transit department wants to take money used for private security guards who currently patrol park-and-ride lots to hire two full-time outreach staff. The department says guards will still be stationed at the lots during peak hours and rove during non-peak hours. Camera systems also monitor the lots, which are primarily used by commuters.
The outreach staff will work as a team to engage with homeless people and offer services. As KJZZ has previously reported, police calls for service along 19th Avenuehave increased dramatically since the light-rail extension opened.
The Police Department has added extra enforcement along the 19th Avenue corridor and Valley Metro is now adding signs detailing a code of conduct policy along the whole system. Dubbed “Respect the Ride,” it requires passengers to leave the light-rail vehicle and platform at their destination. Earlier this month, Phoenix announced a program to address homeless encampments, known as PHX C.A.R.E.S.
If the council approves the $125,000 funding for the one-year pilot program, data will be collected and reported to help determine appropriate service levels.
Update: The Phoenix City Council approved hiring a homeless outreach team for light rail at Wednesday's meeting.
