SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken and Police Chief Jon Tuhm have recently voiced their concerns about the homeless population in downtown. We have heard from local nonprofits and people experiencing homelessness, but Sunday we talked with people who work downtown to hear their perspectives.
The operations manager for the ambassador program in Downtown Sioux Falls, Martin Dill, has seen a recent uptick in the homeless population.
“We’ve seen a huge influx over the last three years, but especially over the last five months, the numbers have kind of exploded,” Dill said.
Dill says that a lot of of the homeless people he encounters are good people.
“Most of them are pretty nice people, and when they know they’ve had too much to drink, they, a lot of times kind of police themselves,” Dill said.
But, he’s still seen his fair share of issues.
“When you step out of line and, start causing problems or being somehow disorderly, then we have to have a talk,” Dill said.
Now, there are fewer benches downtown. Officials took some away because people experiencing homelessness were sleeping on them.
For example, there was a bench outside of Child’s Play Toys, but it had to be removed after complaints from the store’s owner, Nancy Savage.
“The city leaders have listened to us and have taken action already, and we’re already seeing that positive benefit from that, which is amazing. I was gone on vacation for a week, and I came back, and I was just amazed at the difference in the last week of how it’s changed,” Savage said.
Even with the recent improvements, solving this problem will take some time.
“Once you’re down the hole and you’ve lost your job, you’ve lost your family and you’re down to scrounging money to drink every day. It’s pretty, pretty hard to pull yourself back up,” Dill said.
Savage also says that she would like to see less alcohol being sold downtown.
