Church just reading it Ainsley Ainsley, happy Holly Hole Holy W. Everyone out there, homelessness across the United States, grew by two percent or nearly one thousand people in twenty twenty in Washington State, though, that number is more than six hers and in Seattle the crisis is pushing parents past their limits, as encampments are taking over their parks, their playgrounds and little league fields. Lawrence Jones joins us now and he is live in Seattle Lawrence. What did you find out hey good Morning, Ainsley, a truly tragic story that is impacting the young people I had appear opportunity to go and see it firsthand yesterday. Take a look right here is where little leaguers, with normally play at baseball play at the park play basketball. As you can see, there is homeless encampments everywhere. Just in the past three weeks,

there has already been four incidents with homeless individuals and children, and residents are reaching a breaking point. There was a fellow that was taken out on a stretch earlier this week with all the softball kids around parents coming in the morning before kids, come to the park and do a sweep of the park to make sure there are any kneels to pick up before kids got there. How do we get to a place where we think thats normal or a part of life in Seattle? You see all these encampments. How does that make you feel you feel makes me feel sad, its a shame. People cant enjoy the park when you see the needles on the streets and drugs that you have to cross over. Do you think its a safety issue? Yes, definitely I have a little dog and I have to be careful that she doesnt step on something. Do you think the city leadership is doing enough to rectify the problem? No, I would like to see more leadership on the part of the city,

and I do have a teenager and he is just really distressed about the situation. Are you hopeful that this will change some time soon? I am not hopeful, you are not. I am not hopeful im, not hopeful, but I would like to be hopeful. I mean I think the community needs to be brought into the more you sea, the kneels, the cap of the kneels. You see the tin cans, you see, they use it to cook food, but they also use this to cook drugs as well. Methamphetamines, cocaine, heroin. All of this is right in front of a school right there. They are supposed to return back here in April, and this is what they are going to sees a theyre dropping their kids off to school when they come out here to play for recess. This is what they are going to see. Another cap right here, theyre everywhere surrounding this field. This is where kids are supposed to be able to play. This is Miller, play field, multiuse field used for soccer, baseball,

lacrosse, ultimate frisbee, all ages. Right now, the field is not being scheduled for use because of the condition of the field and the proximity they cant even use this field, its not being scheduled anymore. Why not? Because its unsafe, this dug out here, has got a tent in it. Those dug outs over there have tents in them. I see people in need. I see people that need help and thats what we are trying to do, help them but help them return. The field for intended use are you hearing back from the city leadership. I have talked to a number of city officials. What do they say its a tough problem to solve and we are doing the best we can. What is the commitment? We all agree? We havent gotten a plan. We would like to see Miller prioritized because of its proximity to the school and because of its high use. Our kids are in danger right now, too. You know who is advocating for our children we reached out to the mayors, office and Seattle, but we did

not hear back from them. So this is just a tragic story: Ainsley gosh, I dont know why they dont go in there and get them out of there, so the kids can have their parks back its ridiculous, its kind of unacceptable Ainsley. These are kids that are supposed to be returning back into April. One lady we talked to she said that someone stole her car and she had to track it down herself and now she has to put trackers in there to make sure this doesnt happen again. This is impacting people all over Seattle, not just the kids on this baseball field, Ainsley yep.