TEMPE, AZ — After an attack on two female joggers alongside Tempe Town Lake, the City of Tempe has outlined its procedures to combat homelessness.
Tuesday evening, two women were attacked by 46-year old Alfredo Morales, who is homeless. ABC15 looked into what efforts are being taken by the City of Tempe to end homelessness.
Tempe has increased its investment to fight homelessness in and around the city. Over the summer, the Tempe City Council approved a $1.03 million increase to the 2019-2020 fiscal year budget to support homeless prevention efforts. That increase included a $75,000 increase to the Tempe Works Program, which included hiring people to work directly with the homeless.
Below is a list of procedures when dealing with homeless encampments provided by the City of Tempe:
- Our HOPE homeless outreach team, Police Department, and Parks and Recreation Department coordinate regular encampment cleanups in city parks. Homeless individuals receive prior notification that cleanups will be taking place in specific areas.
- Scheduled cleanups may take place in multiple areas, depending on impact and priority.
- During cleanups at abandoned encampments, our homeless outreach specialists and police officers work to engage homeless individuals in the area in housing and other services.
According to city officials, since June of 2016, the City of Tempe has removed 123 tons of debris related to homeless encampments.
According to Tempe police, more officers will be provided for events happening in Tempe over the weekend, such as the Tempe Festival of the Arts. Still, extra officers are not a result of Tuesday's attack. Tempe police are treating that attack as an isolated incident.
