One of ARPPS e-letters was published in the Rancho Cordova Post recently.
An excerpt.
“Even though our economy is going through a very rough period right now, and at first glance it may appear that our economic troubles justify allowing the legal creation of a tent city encampment that will congregate crimogenic populations, at the same time we are reducing public safety expenditures; we should resist that urge, and do what we can to strengthen public safety on and near the Parkway rather than reducing it.
“Our community is currently involved in a very serious policy debate about whether to legalize a homeless encampment, and the issue is one of major concern to our The American River Parkway Preservation Society, as it is quite possible, that if this policy is approved, the encampment will be close to the American River Parkway, continuing the Parkway camping by the homeless that has had a degrading impact on adjacent communities to use their part of the Parkway safely for several years.
“It will also render moot—in Sacramento—the concept underlying the hugely successful policy of broken windows policing by legalizing the very conditions broken windows references in its policing focus.
“We have referred to the broken windows form of policing where even minor infractions like panhandling, illegal camping, (or broken windows) are vigorously policed because a disorderly environment creates more disorder; in respect to the long-term policy in our area of essentially allowing illegal camping by the homeless in the Parkway, increasing crime and reducing public safety in the Parkway and surrounding neighborhoods.”
