In April 2021, Boulder’s City Council approved a pilot program to formulize the Safe and Managed Public Spaces (SAMPS) team. This team reflects a coordinated approach to manage camping and unsafe behavior in the city’s public spaces.
Library underpass skate area.
The Safe and Managed Public Spaces team's mission is to ensure that public spaces are safe and welcoming for all. The team takes a compassionate approach with residents who are camping while ensuring that the city's ordinances are enforced.
Public spaces should be available to all community members, but unsanctioned camping excludes some members of the community from enjoying these public spaces.
Increases in unsanctioned camping have led to health and safety risks for those staying within campsites and the broader community. Campsite residents may be at risk of serious health issues or loss of life due to uncertain weather, disease and contamination, as well as being victims of crime, as campsites often attract more serious crimes such as drug distribution.
Camping creates several community issues. Campsites can increase wildfire risks and can negatively impact and endanger wetlands or other sensitive and ecologically important natural areas. Community members, visitors and city staff often feel threatened by behavior in misused public spaces and can encounter biohazards in areas such as the Boulder Creek Path, parks and open space.
Guided by compassion and a people-focused approach, the work of the SAMPS team reflects a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach that leverages the expertise of community partners to manage the city’s public spaces.
This work is guided by seven goals that achieve a compassionate approach with people who are camping while ensuring that the city’s ordinances are enforced. The team routinely evaluates the effectiveness of this approach and adapts as needed to evolving challenges.
