Bums will get the rush out of town

The Eureka Springs City Council approved an ordinance to prohibit persons from sleeping on public property Monday evening,

When the ordinance was presented for its first reading Aug. 9, it seemed to catch council members off guard.

The idea of people sleeping in city parks isn't one that has been discussed very much here in the past.

According to Police Chief Earl Hyatt, transients are becoming a problem.

"We have had one or two in years past, but this year, there seems to have been an influx of bums," he said.

"And these people are bums. They don't want to work. They think hanging around and begging for a few bucks a day is an okay way to make money."

He says camp sites/sleeping locations have been found behind the band shell in Basin Spring Park, at Calif Spring behind the Historical Museum on south Main and in other spring parks around town.

"When the people who have adopted springs have gone to do some clean up, they have found these campsites," Hyatt said.

Transit Director Lamont Richie said recently he had noticed "strangers," who obviously were not tourists, in the downtown area in the early mornings, before shops were open.

He had talked with Hyatt about these visitors.

Fatima Swallow, owner of the Pied Piper pub, said "There is an emergency to this situation. Five people have been dropped off in town and they are creating havoc. They are making messes and creating habitats in the caves. They need professional help and they won't get it here."

"When we see someone in town, sitting in the parks or in front of businesses, around 6 a.m., we know they aren't the usual tourists," Hyatt said.

"Most of these people are 30 to 50 years old. They look like homeless people, because they are. They come from all over. They walk in or hitch hike in from someplace. They stay a day or two and wander out," he said.

"They aren't doing damage or vandalism, except for the damage they do to a business when they stand in front begging for money and customers are afraid to pass by them.

"We just need an ordinance that will help us keep these people moving," he said.

"With an ordinance prohibiting sleeping in public places, we can move them along."

The ordinance will take effect in 30 days.