The irony here is palpable. Officers reportedly observed him sleeping on the ground near the lake. But herein lies the proverbial rub. The City has deemed it more desirable to criminalize than socialize, more effective to lock up than provide shelter, and better policy to crack down than coddle. It is claimed that the provision of services would convey an air of encouragement that might attract more homeless to Tempe which could adversely affect the commercial atmosphere just as Tempe is rolling out the red carpet to lake-front developers.
Compassion is seen as a sign of weakness and a plainly unprofitable endeavor.
Nonetheless, perhaps partly in response to its tarnished image after the sidewalk ordinance debacle, the City has made a few cosmetic overtures to dealing with the homeless problem'. The point should be to prevent street people from getting arrested in the first place by de-criminalizing the things that they do to survive, and by offering reasonable alternatives and adequate services to those in real need. The individuals who are implementing this program manifest a sincere and substantial desire to assist those in need. With the added realization that the DTC is merely a corporate alter ego of the City of Tempe itself, the circle of intolerance is thus complete.