"Not only is it the most humane way to go,
it's the most effective way to go"
A park that was once the jewel of the city's ritziest neighborhood is now at the center of a turf battle between downtown's up-and-comers and its homeless.Sound familiar, Orlando? No, this is someplace else.
In St. Louis, Lucas Park was once a refuge for the rich from the grit of the city. Now, it offers refuge for the homeless who are accused of panhandling, littering and publicly urinating in the park, which is in the heart of a gentrified district.
City Hall has a new strategy for dealing with the problem.
It includes increased police enforcement but also a new 24-hour center called New Horizons where the homeless a place to eat, bathe, go to the bathroom or apply for jobs and social services.
"Not only is it the most humane way to go, it's the most effective way to go," said Jeff Rainford, the mayor's chief of staff.
Past efforts by police to clear the homeless from the park drew criticism from civil liberties lawyers, and a lawsuit.
Read the Springfield News-Leader article here.
posted by Jacqueline Dowd @ 9:58 PM
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