HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-07-24 Public Comment - J. Boyle - Street CampingFrom:JEFFREY BOYLE
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Street Camping
Date:Wednesday, August 7, 2024 11:15:06 AM
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Dear Commissioners,
I understand the problem of Street Camping is complex and multifaceted. However, no one should be living in a
camper on the streets of Bozeman that’s not debatable. There are people who by misfortune, mistake and madness
have ended up homeless. Do they deserve the compassion and support of our community? Yes, they do. Does that
support include enabling Street Camping? No it should not.
By providing all the necessities of life without any of the responsibilities, it promotes the influx of people with the
primary intent of exploiting these services. Yes, the resources of aid agencies and city staff are being exceeded but,
not by the truly misfortunate, but by the predatory who understand the City of Bozeman will support their lifestyle.
When Missoula cleaned up a major Street Camping site they gathered up more than 1,500 discarded hypodermic
needles. Do you want to attract those people to our community? If we make it as easy as possible for addicts and
criminals to live on our streets they will, and they will tell their friends to come.
The small percentage of people through no fault of their own, who end up it this situation can be handled by the
safety nets that are there to help and they wouldn’t be over taxed by the volume of people who want to take
advantage of the system.
Ban Street Camping now. It’s not good for our city or the people living in the Campers. It only enables bad behavior
that becomes a vicious cycle. It’s misguided compassion to be an enabler for drug addiction and crime. What
percentage of our Street Campers fall into that category?
Please do provide counseling and direction to the food bank, to HRDC, to Child Welfare agencies, to Church
community support groups but, please stop enabling Street Camping.
Thank you for listening,
Jeff Boyle
820 N. Black Street