VIEWPOINT | We can care for homeless while also building fence at Bishop Dudley

Guest column by Sioux Falls City Councilor Rich Merkouris

In the last 12 months, there have been over 2,500 emergency calls right around Eighth Street and Indiana Avenue in Sioux Falls. That level of activity should concern all of us, and it impacts all of us with the required response of emergency services.

Many people have expressed concern about the area and about the community’s approach to homelessness. We also saw this last summer with an outpouring of concern over the number of individuals loitering or panhandling in the downtown area.

The proposed fence at Eighth and Indiana has become a point of serious contention that is dividing us. We have an undefined space right in the middle of one of the most trafficked areas in our community. An undefined space leads to congregating, which then often leads to behavioral challenges that require law enforcement intervention.

VIEWPOINT | 60 percent approval threshold essential for protecting Constitution