Publication Date: Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Handling the homeless in other cities
Handling the homeless in other cities
(August 24, 2005)As Palo Alto grapples with aggressive panhandling and loitering on University Avenue, other cities with bustling downtown districts look on -- some puzzled, others with a bit of worry.
Shoppers strolling down Broadway and Main Street in Redwood City or Burlingame Avenue in Burlingame may not encounter as many homeless people on street corners. In Redwood City, "you have people you see every once in a while, but it's not a problem," said Dan Zack, downtown development manager for the city.
Palo Alto offers social services downtown, which critics charge may be a magnet, but so do other municipalities. Redwood City is the county seat for San Mateo County and hosts the county jail.
"We should have more (transients)," said Capt. Ron Matuszak of the Redwood City police. "That's where everyone gets released. We have a lot of social services."
Likewise, people wonder if the train station's proximity to University Avenue means that more transient people are arriving in the city.
But Burlingame's downtown area is also near the train station, said Commander Brad Floyd, and "we haven't had the problem you've been having down there."
Other Peninsula cities have no ordinances that differ dramatically from Palo Alto's. The issue could be related to the amount of patrolling done, a level the Palo Alto police are aiming to boost, according to Chief Lynne Johnson.
In Burlingame, a patrol officer makes the rounds of the two main shopping streets at least a few times an hour, Floyd said, taking action when appropriate.
"If people are being bothered, there's nothing wrong with us contacting people and asking them to leave the area," Floyd said.
Redwood City has an officer walking the area full time, according to Matuszak. The police arrest about one person a day for public drunkenness, he estimated.
One difference Matuszak can see is that Redwood City lacks benches that could be too inviting to those wanting to sleep or sit for a long time. One merchant removed benches that had been in front of his coffee shop, while the county's bus service uses seating that folds up when no one's sitting on it.
Another difference could be the layout of the shopping areas. University Avenue's long stretch of shops and restaurants provides a centralized downtown, whereas in Redwood City the shopping area is more dispersed.
That may change, however. Redwood City is planning a cinema complex, which Matuszak said could create a more centralized gathering spot, and may lead to problems in the future.
"Maybe we'll be calling you," Matuszak said.
-- Jocelyn Dong
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