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Residents urge stronger city action on homelessness and crime during Yakima public comment
Summary
Multiple residents told the council they are alarmed by rising crime and visible homelessness in residential neighborhoods and parks and urged stronger city involvement; councilmembers noted ongoing coordination with county and local leadership.
Several residents used the public-comment period Tuesday to urge the Yakima City Council to take more aggressive action to address homelessness and neighborhood crime.
“Now kids can't even do that without being afraid of crime,” said Isidro Sid Reynaga, a District 4 resident who described increasing crime and a rising homeless population in his neighborhood. “If it's not done, it's gonna get worse.”
Tony Sandoval urged the council to go back into neighborhoods and consult community institutions such as churches for ideas to bring economic activity into the city. “We should go back out there and find out what our community thinks we could do to get some income into this community,” Sandoval said.
Several council members responded later in the meeting, noting ongoing efforts to coordinate with the county and the value of a local city manager and police chief. One councilmember said recent activity had reduced visible homelessness on some commercial corridors but acknowledged encampments and related problems persist and are an ongoing challenge.
The public remarks came during the council’s public-comment period; no new ordinance or motion addressing homelessness was proposed at the meeting. Council members discussed existing collaboration with the county and the police department, and said the city continues work to move people into care and reduce street encampments, but they also described limits and variability in results.
Speakers included residents who said they had personally experienced the neighborhood changes over the past decade and one speaker who noted prior business closure on North First Street because of safety concerns. Council did not take formal action on specific homelessness enforcement changes at Tuesday's meeting.
