Ordinance not the answer
Complaints from condominium owners in downtown Arlington Heights, inconvenienced by a small group of people loitering at a bench in front of their building, should be taken seriously. An ordinance that criminalizes vagrancy is not the answer.
As reported, this issue is a nuisance, not a safety concern. The Village should use existing regulations to address the problem and if it’s a challenge, then rise to meet it.
Our Village leaders need to identify alternatives to protect condo and business owners while defending the disenfranchised. It needs to lead with vision and purpose and not shift the burden to law enforcement who will find themselves at odds with residents who have, versus those who do not have housing.
Village leaders may choose to increase resources to support Village health and social services and work with Wheeling and Elk Grove Townships to implement alternative housing solutions. They could reach out to area social service agencies and pool resources to address the needs of targeted groups. But another ordinance to address a temporary problem, that’s just lazy leadership.
As our Village leaders pursue a constructive solution, they might consider removing the bench on a temporary basis. This seemed to have had the desired effect when there was a similar situation at the train station several months ago. Ultimately, the benches were returned, and the problem was fixed.
John T. Supplitt
Arlington Heights