In a recent city council meeting the police chief asked for the ability to enforce the law when people refuse city assistance. City Council is divided and Bill Christopher has doubled down, pressing for more encampments.
The push for homeless encampments and overnight parking in public and private spaces reeks of toxic empathy, elevating the rights of vagrants—many criminals or mentally ill drug addicts—over law-abiding citizens. This misstep endangers Westminster’s children, stripping their safety and innocence. Police enforcement, not accommodation, must take priority to protect our community.
Focusing on the “rights” of encampment dwellers ignores their threats: drug deals, theft, and squalor. Needles litter parks, human waste festers near schools—dangers kids don’t grasp. A child biking to the park shouldn’t face a gauntlet of unstable addicts or aggressive panhandlers. Yet, toxic empathy coddles these individuals, leaving families defenseless. Expanding police authority across all city properties—parks, fire stations, everywhere—isn’t optional; it’s urgent. Law-abiding residents deserve protection, not policies shielding those who break laws or menace our streets.
The “Overnight Safe Parking” plan worsens this imbalance. Turning Walmart lots or church grounds into campsites prioritizes transients over kids who play nearby. A child doesn’t understand why a stranger screams or staggers in their path—they just feel fear. Preserving childhood innocence means ensuring they can ride to the park safely, not dodging encampment fallout. Police must enforce bans on overnight camping, not cede ground to toxic empathy that robs kids of carefree days. Private lots aren’t sanctuaries; they’re liabilities when criminals’ “rights” trump families’ peace.
This approach guts community safety. When we romanticize the homeless—ignoring mental illness or addiction—we sacrifice kids to needles and chaos. A blanket police crackdown, not timid half-measures, reclaims our spaces. Shelters can help, but enforcement comes first. Toxic empathy breeds guilt trips; it doesn’t shield a child from a strung-out stranger’s outburst, or worse.
Law-abiding citizens, especially kids, aren’t collateral damage for “compassion.” Focusing on criminals’ rights over ours destroys childhood—our duty is to preserve it. Police must dismantle encampments citywide, ensuring kids grow up safe, not scared. Westminster’s future hinges on this, not pandering to those who threaten it.
Tim Rady, Westminster