HomeMy WebLinkAboutReport - Read Before Packet - 8/25/2015 - Power Point Presentation: Addressing Disruptive Behaviors Downtown - Agenda Item #3Addressing Disruptive Behaviors Downtown
Council Work Session – August 25, 2015
Agenda Item 3
Direction Sought from Council
Seeking Council’s direction on whether or not to move
forward with any or all of these four pilot strategies
1. Street Outreach Program
2. Shared Public Spaces Ordinance
3. Expansion of Location Diversion
4. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
2
Background
Complaints regarding disruptive behaviors from business,
visitors, and residents:
• Panhandling
• Smoking
• Intoxicated or drug-impaired behavior
• Groups or individuals hanging out on benches
• Littering
• Groups or individuals sitting or lying on sidewalks
• Public deposit of bodily waste
3
Community Outreach
• Online questionnaire ran from August 7-17
• 1340 responses
• Community conversation on August 13
• Approximately 110 attendees
4
Survey Responses
5
Do you:
6
How Often Do You Frequent Downtown?
7
Online Only: Are there Ongoing Disruptive Behaviors
that Keep you From Visiting downtown?
Which behaviors do you find the
most disruptive downtown?
8
Of the Problems Selected, Are They:
9
Online Only: How do these
disruptive behaviors impact your
Downtown experience?
10
Which of the following diminish
your downtown experience?
11
Common “Other” Responses
• Cars cruising/diesel smoke
• Sign twirlers/solicitation
• Concerns with college-age people
12
Strategies
There are multiple pilot strategies that may help address the
disruptive behaviors downtown
1. Street Outreach Program
2. Shared Public Spaces Ordinance
3. Enhancement of Location Diversion
4. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
(CPTED)
5. Combination of the above
13
Street Outreach Program
• Business and Residents able to reach out to team when
there is an identified disruptive behavior
• Reduces the burden on police officers
• Team provides a frequent, proactive presence downtown
• Builds on efforts of DDA business education
• Team acts as liaison between social service providers,
Police Services, businesses, vulnerable populations, and
other stakeholders
14
Street Outreach Program
• Used to provide services to those in need
• Case management
• Resource referral
• Crisis intervention
• Successful models include:
• Burlington, VT (est. 2000); Portland, OR
• Collaborative: multiple funding partners and stakeholders
• Builds trusting relationships
15
In Person Survey Results
16
Do you support a
Street Outreach
Program?
Shared Public Spaces Ordinance
• Pilot program would regulate sitting or lying in the public
right of way (sidewalks/plazas/curbs/benches) in
downtown
• Would also regulate the manner and duration in which
people can occupy benches and other seating
• Pilot would last for one year
• Enforcement area same as smoking ordinance
(downtown)
17
Downtown Boundaries
18
Shared Public Spaces Ordinance
• Mixed results from other jurisdictions with ordinance
• Seattle, WA
• Viewed as successful in improving downtown image/safety
• San Francisco, CA
• Majority of merchants cited no major change in behaviors
• Honolulu, HI
• Some success in Waikiki district, concerns about
expansion and displacement
19
In Person Survey Results
20
Do you support a Shared
Public Spaces Ordinance?
Do you support a Shared
Public Spaces Ordinance?
21
What potential unintended
consequences concern you the most?
22
Enhancement of Location Diversion
• Plea deals for citations would include agreement to not
be present downtown for set time period
• Length of time for agreement based on specific behavior
and prior violations
• Already used in Fort Collins for specific locations
23
Enhancement of Location Diversion
• Alternative sentencing technique for disruptive
behaviors (to reduce potential for recidivism)
• Could be used for appropriate violations such as:
• Assault
• Criminal mischief
• Trespass
• Damage to public property
• Disturbing the peace
• Disorderly conduct
• Harassment
• Subject to Municipal Court approval on a case-by-
case basis
24
Do you support the expansion
of Location Diversion?
25
Environmental Design
26
• Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
Do you support the use of
CPTED?
27
Which strategies do you
most support?
28
Any strategies you do not
support?
29
Direction Sought from Council
Seeking Council’s direction on whether or not to move
forward with any or all of these four pilot strategies
1. Street Outreach Program
2. Shared Public Spaces Ordinance
3. Expansion of Location Diversion
4. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
30