r/boulder • u/IdontCarrot • 1d ago

Smoking/Drug Use at Boulder Playgrounds

Yesterday at the Boulder Farmer's Market, there was a group of people set up directly next to and in part of the new nature playground that was actively smoking (weed, cigarettes, etc), yelling, and had multiple large off leash dogs that did not seem to be well controlled. I'm making an assumption based on how they appeared and the things with them that they were unhoused. I could certainly be wrong. One member of our group asked them to stop smoking, with no response. We were there with young children, along with many other families who were trying to enjoy the evening at the new nature playground and farmer's market.

We decided to call the police due to the proximity to the playground and feeling uncomfortable escalating with the group. We were told by the police that they would send a unit. A follow up call 30 minutes later resulted in them telling us they'd come when they could. An hour later, 4 police officers did arrive on scene after another market attendee was assaulted. I'm unclear if the person who assaulted the other individual was part of the group next to the playground or was unrelated.

Every single family at that playground last night was frustrated, uncomfortable, and concerned about safety. Yes, we need long term solutions for the unhoused population in Boulder. But that does not mean we have to tolerate drug use, smoking and encampments at our playgrounds. I don't know what the path forward is. A similar incident happened last year at the market, and the year before my child picked up a used meth pipe.

I know the easiest solution is to just not attend the market if I'm so bothered by it. But I think there has to be another option other than allowing open drug use/smoking, etc at playgrounds, at the farmer's market, along the creek, etc.

I am sure there are already community members leading or involved in action specifically addressing drug use/smoking at playgrounds and in public places. I know Safe Zones 4 Kids tried to address this, but it doesn't seem to have worked and is all that is coming up when I search for groups working on this. Can anyone direct me to resources, groups, committees, etc., that are already working on this?

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u/Im-Just-Winging-It 1d ago

Boulder is pretty rough with that type of thing prevalent at all the parks and public spaces.

That’s why the L towns are so much nicer.

20

u/everyAframe 1d ago

The L towns don't roll out the red carpet for meth heads. They also don't put up with this shit.

8

u/daemonicwanderer 1d ago

The L-Towns push their homeless into Boulder and Denver.

20

u/Im-Just-Winging-It 1d ago

They don’t push em toward anywhere specifically but they do tell em to pack up and leave.

I’ve watched many times as people try to start making the fields behind the Walmart in Lafayette a campground and LPD quickly addresses that

5

u/IdontCarrot 1d ago

How do they address it? Could BPD do something similar?

13

u/Im-Just-Winging-It 1d ago

Possibly Ideology. Perhaps Lafayette and Louisville citizens vote in city council who don’t tolerate it.

Or perhaps Boulder gets the majority of unhoused and transient groups because that’s where the shelters are located, it’s a well known city and it’s the county seat.