Action alert: Lansdale Borough to Remove Camps from Public Parks

Lansdale Borough leadership appears to be backsliding on addressing homelessness. 

Just months ahead of the opening of a county-funded supportive housing facility in Lansdale, local police will begin enforcing the prohibition of overnight camping in borough parks. That is according to news that came out of a recent committee meeting. 

Mayor Garry Herbert, who signed a Montco 30% and Habitat for Humanity pledge circulated last summer to not criminalize homelessness, recently penned a memo with Police Chief Mike Trail. As reported by The Reporter news outlet, that memo includes the following: 

“This action is being taken to ensure the longevity of our park assets. Tenting, camping, and otherwise erecting non-permanent structures for extended periods damages the natural space we are trying to protect.” 

It continues: “Our goal is NOT to criminalize poverty in Lansdale. However, we also will not tolerate the destruction and abuse of our parks and our property.” 

“Going forward, to properly and humanly address issues related to the unhoused, Lansdale Police Officers will ask unhoused persons squatting in our parks to remove themselves from park property if they are there outside the posted hours,” the memo begins. 

Email Mayor Herbert at mayor@lansdale.org and implore him to pause this policy change and wait until RHD opens the 20-bed supportive housing facility later this year. 

At last Wednesday’s committee meeting, Chief Trail stated: “Our intention is not to harass people who are using our park in a good manner, perhaps after dark. Our goal here is to abate individuals who are sleeping in our parks, defecating in our parks, scattering rubbish in our parks, making it unsightly, and people fear going to the park.” 

He continued, according to The Reporter, “It’s not a blanket, ‘everyone in the park will be cited the minute the sun goes down.’ We’re going to be tactful and respectful, but we need to work on this problem,” Trail said.

The new direction on outdoor camping was not the result of a council vote.

Relocating those living in the parks will be done “in a very judicious, very respectful manner,” with notices given beforehand, and officers will walk parks nightly for a 30 day grace period before citations and relocations begin, the chief said. Public Safety Committee chair Meg Currie Teoh added that doing so is allowed under current codes, thus the tabling of the camping code discussion. Officers are directed to work with staff from Merakey, the contracted Mental Health Co-Responder, to “aid in the removal of any unhoused individuals who are unwilling to relocate to ensure the safety of all involved,” the memo states. 

“Our operations going forward are just utilizing the tools we already have,” she said.

As for the pledge signed by Mayor Herbert, Lansdale Councilman BJ Breish and seven other local elected municipal leaders, it came during a time of heightened focus nationwide on sanctions against outdoor sleeping. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last June that local government can fine and arrest people who are camping outdoors in public areas, even if they have no bed to sleep in. 

Lansdale Councilman BJ Breish

In a statement, Breish wrote: 

As an elected official in Lansdale Borough, I'm deeply troubled and dismayed by the recent decision to begin enforcing the prohibition of overnight camping in our borough parks. This move, coming just months before the opening of a county-funded supportive housing facility, feels like a significant step backward in our collective efforts to humanely address homelessness in our community.

Lansdale leadership has recently demonstrated a genuine commitment to working on real solutions for these complex challenges, and I am incredibly proud of our work in this space. We've shown that when we come together, we can tackle difficult issues effectively. This current policy direction, however, doesn't reflect that spirit of collaboration and problem-solving.

While I understand the legitimate concerns about park longevity and protecting our shared public spaces, the implications of this policy change are profoundly concerning. The memo from Mayor Herbert and Police Chief Trail directly links homelessness with park destruction, stating, "we also will not tolerate the destruction and abuse of our parks and our property." This framing is not only counterproductive but also deeply unfair. While some individuals experiencing homelessness may unfortunately contribute to these issues, they are certainly not alone in misusing public spaces. Painting our unhoused neighbors as inherently destructive is akin to kicking someone when they're down and undermines our ability to find genuine, compassionate solutions.

I believe we can, and must, be concerned for the safety and well-being of our parks and be compassionate towards those experiencing homelessness. Both things can be true. Our goal shouldn't be to displace individuals, but to actively work harder to identify real solutions that address the root causes of homelessness while also maintaining our public spaces.

Premature and Punitive Enforcement

To initiate a policy that displaces our most vulnerable residents without a readily available alternative seems both premature and unnecessarily punitive. This new enforcement direction, despite assurances of tact and respect, creates a stressful and unstable situation for those already experiencing immense hardship.

Furthermore, this decision wasn't the result of a council vote. While I understand that existing codes may allow for such enforcement, a policy change with such significant impact on our community's most vulnerable should ideally involve a broader discussion and consensus among elected officials, borough staff, and key stakeholders. 

A Call for Compassion and Collaboration

We have an opportunity to demonstrate true compassion and foresight. This means not only waiting until the supportive housing facility is operational, but also committing to a more comprehensive and empathetic approach. I urge a pause in this brash course of action so we can bring all relevant stakeholders to the table to discuss better solutions. We need to work together to develop strategies that genuinely support our unhoused neighbors while ensuring our parks remain safe and accessible for everyone.

Breish concluded, “I urge all residents who share my concern to email Mayor Herbert at mayor@lansdale.org and implore him to pause this policy change. Instead, let's focus on developing long-term, humane solutions in conjunction with the opening of the supportive housing facility later this year.” 

Lansdale’s borough council next meets at 7 p.m. on June 18 and the public safety committee next meets at 6:30 p.m. on August 6, both at the borough municipal building, 1 Vine Street. For more information visit www.Lansdale.org.