City Of Yakima Forming Plan To Deal With Homeless On North First

Yakima is developing a plan to deal with the increase in homeless people and camps along North First Street, the official entrance to the city of Yakima. KIT News has learned the plan is expected to be announced next week. Yakima Police spokesman Mike Bastinelli says officers try and do what they can to keep the area safe but he says they must work within the confines of the law. He says if people are breaking a law officers can take action but he tells KIT News. "If they're just on a public sidewalk not breaking a law we're limited to what we can do because the sidewalks are public."
Bastinelli says officers are called to the North First area everyday for a variety of calls and they respond and take action when a crime is committed.