LETTER: A homegrown approach to drugs, crime and homelessness in Moses Lake

You deserve a clean, safe city where you and your loved ones feel at ease wherever you may go around town. We know there are plenty of good things happening in Moses Lake, and we're grateful for the wonderful people, local businesses and natural beauty that make our town so special. We all want Moses Lake to continue to be a city where you are proud to have your friends and family come visit and spend some time. 

But, like other towns, we have our struggles. We all see and experience the unsightly and unsafe conditions from illegal activity like trespassing, illegal camping and drug activity. It's hurting our economy and our way of life. Many of us have a fear of walking through some of our parks or having our loved ones go to the store or to certain parts of town by themselves.  

This is unacceptable, and you don't have to put up with it. It's just plain wrong for you, me, and our 27,000 fellow residents to feel unsafe and suffer the effects of other people's poor choices. 

We want you to know that we as a City Council have heard you loud and clear. We all feel frustrated with what's going on. We're all experiencing this. But together, we have the will and the means to take action and deploy a different approach — a homegrown approach that builds on some of what we have already been doing, implements new ideas and taps into the talents and resources of the good people right here in Moses Lake. 

While much of our collective efforts have made a positive difference, we also know that some things have not moved the needle far enough in the right direction. Despite the best efforts of the good and hardworking people who have been operating the Sleep Center for the last five years, homelessness in Moses Lake has not declined by any significant margin. In fact, many perceive that it has only worsened. As a result, a majority of the City Council has decided that we will be allowing the Sleep Center to close when the state grant runs out at the end of June. The Sleep Center has been costing almost $700,000 per year to operate about 40 beds. While the Sleep Center has been funded almost entirely with grant funds, these funds are still tax dollars paid by the citizens of the State of Washington. 

This is not about whether folks need help or whether they are deserving; instead, this is about the city's role in this complex issue. I think we all believe that we should love and serve our neighbors, including our neighbors who are caught in addiction, mental illness, trauma and other problems. They are human beings, and they need our collective help. But the City has limited and insufficient resources to provide social services, and a majority of the City Council has elected to focus on our core city functions, including police, fire, roads, parks and other basic city services.  

Other government agencies, churches and nonprofits are better equipped and created to deliver social services. We can all love and serve our neighbor by contributing to these groups.  

This journey is about partnering and clarifying the roles of the various nonprofits and social service agencies, and it's also about finding the best way to address homelessness while maintaining Moses Lake's standards of being a safe, fun, attractive and inviting place to be for all 27,000 of its residents, as well as our businesses and visitors. 

A new approach 

Our community has spoken, and it's time for a new approach that changes course but also recognizes and incorporates existing efforts that have proven to be effective. We are working on a plan to do just that. The plan is coming together and will likely have the following components: 

Partnering with nonprofits that help get individuals to a shelter and the full "wrap around" services they need to get back on their feet (these wrap around services are not adequately available in Moses Lake but are available in larger cities in the region). A shining example of a nonprofit that does this type of work is the Advance Recovery Navigator program.  

New and tighter restrictions around camping on public and private property, sleeping/lying on sidewalks, drug activity, loitering and other crimes and nuisances. 

Temporary restrictions and/or closures at certain parks and/or city-owned buildings and facilities. Regular and frequent monitoring of our parks and open spaces to detect unlawful activity (including illegal camping) early on before it gets out of hand. 

Continuing and enhancing police emphasis patrols to proactively enforce drug activity, trespassing and other illegal activities. 

A program to partner with our businesses and property owners to educate them about available resources to address nuisances on private property, including detecting illegal camping early on, trespassing, unlawful storage of personal property, open burning, etc. 

Partnering with faith-based groups and select nonprofits that have the resources and services to help people recover and become self-sufficient.  

Creating informational materials and online resources that will point people to the appropriate nonprofits and government agencies that can help provide that hand up. 

As we develop this plan, we want to include you. We can't figure this out alone, and we need the diverse voices and perspectives of this community to create the best plan possible. In May and June, we will have a series of public meetings, including a town hall meeting, to further develop this plan and hear from all parts of Moses Lake. 

A call to action — what you can do 

You can be part of the solution and help us develop and implement this new approach. Here are some things you can do now: 

Call 911 when you see illegal or suspicious activity, such as illegal camping, trespassing, drug activity, etc. For example, when you see people doing drugs in a parking lot, call it in. 

Give a hand up, not a handout. For example, instead of giving money to panhandlers, consider donating to and volunteering with nonprofits that specialize in helping folks recover and get back on their feet. Panhandlers often use the money you give them to pay for their addiction. 

Get involved and show up to our public meetings as we develop this plan — we will be announcing meeting dates and times in the near future. 

Call 988, 211, or the Washington Recovery Help Line (866-789-1511) if you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, housing instability, or substance use challenges. Help is available. 

For immediate mental health or emotional support, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 24/7. 

For shelter, housing assistance, food resources or other basic needs, dial 211 to connect with local services in your area. 

For support related to substance use, gambling issues or mental health concerns, contact the Washington Recovery Help Line at 1-866-789-1511. 

These services are free, confidential and available to everyone, ensuring that no one has to face challenges alone. 

A brighter future 

We are an incredible city of amazing, caring people, and there are so many wonderful things happening here in Moses Lake. Yet none of us want our city to languish in these problems anymore. We can't allow our city to be a magnet for crime, drugs and homelessness. While these issues will never completely go away, we can take back our city and restore it to be much closer to the way it used to be — a place where we can freely and comfortably walk and get around through all of our parks, shopping centers and downtown. A place where parks and spaces are clean and free of bio waste, drug paraphernalia and garbage. A place where we and our loved ones can go shopping without fear or discomfort. A place we're proud to call home and have our friends and family come visit. 

Dustin Swartz
Mayor, Moses Lake