Town of Parker citizens are voicing concerns about a growing issue with homelessness in the area.

Story updated on 10/31/19 to include response from Parker Police Department

Shopping carts, human feces, and hypodermic needles along the Sulphur Gulch Trail have residents concerned about a growing issue with homelessness and urban camping in Parker. 

In general, experts say that homeless people are more susceptible to catching and spreading contagious diseases, such as Hepatitis A and typhus—a situation that puts users of the bike path at a health risk, as well as the greater Parker community.

"When people don't have access to basic needs like food, shelter, clean water and sanitation, people suffer, and population health, on the whole, is worse off," Elizabeth Bowen, an assistant professor at the University of Buffalo recently told USA Today.

So what is the Town of Parker doing about it?

Last year, the Parker town council passed an ordinance prohibiting "urban camping" on public land. The ordinance lays out specific instructions for police officers dealing with the situation: first, they must make a verbal request for the person to vacate the premises, followed by a written request, which is then followed by a decision by the officer as to whether or not the person needs medical or human services assistance. The officer can only issue a citation or make an arrest if the person does not seem to need assistance and fails to cooperate or if the person needs assistance but rejects the officer's or human service personnel's efforts to give assistance.

We reached out to the Parker Police Department to find out if this ordinance is being enforced and whether they've had any requests to investigate a homeless camp along Sulphur Gulch. We also asked whether or not any investigations have taken place or citations issued.

"We have had reports from residents about Sulphur Gulch Trail under Parker Road," said Josh Hans, the Public Information Officer for the Parker Police Department. "The most recent call from a resident was on October 16. Our Community Services Manager responded to the scene and witnessed trash in the area. He is currently working with Public Works to have it removed. This year, we have issued two citations for Camping on Public Property, 8.07.100 (C). Following the most recent call on October 16, our Community Services Manager has started compiling data to work on a comprehensive plan to address that area."

Why is this problem increasing in Parker?

We wanted to know what our OCN readers in the Parker Now Facebook community thought about it, so we posed the question there. While many responded that they hadn't noticed an issue with homelessness (especially when compared to Denver), others reported having had increased interaction with panhandlers at intersections and outside of grocery stores. Still others were aware of the homeless camp developing just a block south of Mainstreet on the banks of Sulphur Gulch.

One commenter suggested that the rise in homelessness might be directly related to the increase in low-income housing in Parker: Low-income individuals move to Parker to take advantage of the affordable housing offers but don't have access to reliable transportation or well-paying jobs, so they still struggle with paying their rent and end up getting evicted. With no way to get anywhere else, they become stuck—in Parker.

Regardless of whether or not that theory is true, the cost of living in the town of Parker is roughly 7 percent higher than it is in nearby Denver, largely due to housing costs. In fact, the median home cost in Denver is actually 11.1 percent less than it is in Parker. The median rent price in Parker is $2,400, which is $250 higher than the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood Metro median monthly rent.

Courtesy of Best Places

Parker is a significantly more affluent community than Denver, whose median household income is $60,098 with a poverty rate of 15.1 percent, according to World Population Review. Comparatively, the median household income for Parker is $105,373, while the poverty rate is 4.44 percent.

And for those who do fall on hard times and become homeless, resources in Parker are few and far between. A quick Google search failed to bring up any homeless shelters in the town or in the surrounding area.

"We have a good relationship with the Parker Task Force and that is where we typically refer individuals," Hans said, regarding the Parker Police Department's efforts to assist the homeless in the area. "From November 1 to March 31, the Winter Shelter Network is activated in Douglas County for temporary shelter."

More information about the Parker Task Force and Winter Shelter Network can be accessed here.

In the meantime, citizens and local businesses have come together to voice their concerns about the potential health hazard that a homeless camp poses to the population at large. With human feces so near the paved walking/biking path, as well as used hypodermic needles, the habits of these particular individuals are distressing. They obviously need help, and though the greater homelessness issue is too complicated to solve overnight, hopefully, the Parker Police Department will continue to intervene.

What are your thoughts? Tell us in the comments.