Homeless encampment across from Denver school draws concern

DENVER (KDVR) — A Denver Public Faculties dad or mum has considerations about his little one’s security after a homeless encampment popped up immediately throughout the road from his child’s college. 

Kieran Schweidel information his stroll to his child’s college and mentioned he sees a number of encampments on the way in which.  

He mentioned his concern is the proximity of a handful of tents close to Polaris Elementary Faculty.  

“I’m not seeking to repair the town at giant. I don’t assume it’s fixable. Simply across the college. Please, can we hold that protected? If youngsters aren’t sacred, I don’t know what needs to be,” Schweidel mentioned.  

On the college, the Downside Solvers discovered an indication that claims “Kiss and Drop Zone” and quite a few tents throughout the small avenue. He mentioned he desires the college board to take subject with the trash, feces, and drug paraphernalia shut to highschool grounds.   

“More often than not we now have to stroll into the road as a result of there’s actually no strolling room there. We stroll by piles of human excrement I imply, there may be feces, there may be trash, there’s urine, and that’s going to highschool and I by no means say a phrase. However once I get to highschool and it’s there, it’s you recognize, it’s not protected. It’s not clear,” Schweidel mentioned.  

DPS despatched us an announcement in regards to the camp saying: 

The security and well-being of our college students are the first priorities for Denver Public Faculties. Lately, an encampment of individuals experiencing homelessness has appeared throughout the road from Polaris Elementary. Whereas we’re optimistic that the folks right here will likely be good neighbors, college officers have shared considerations about trash, drug paraphernalia and human waste on the playground and the sidewalks college students use to get to and from the college. We’re working with the group to deal with these points. Our efforts embrace asking the Metropolis of Denver to assist us be certain that college students are protected whereas they’re on the playground and on their strategy to and from college.

“The district itself and the employees and the scholars and the lecturers. They’re doing the perfect they’ll. I don’t know what’s extra anticipated. They aren’t the police. They’re not they’re not avenue cleanup. They’re supposed to simply be educating youngsters,” Schweidel mentioned.  

Advocates say that fixed move-on orders trigger unhoused folks to have sleep deprivation, large stress, psychological instability and may even drive them to maneuver to much less protected places.