The East Parkway Safe Stay Center officially opened on December 14, 2023. Prior to the construction and throughout the process, UPE was meeting and communicating staff concerns about the placement of the homes in the parking lot of the building.
Safety was the primary concern of staff. As a result of UPE’s and the membership’s advocacy, the County installed cameras in the front, sides, and back of the building and on the light poles in the parking lot to monitor the area and the staff vehicles.
The department has reassured us that additional security for the Safe Stay site will be on-site 24/7. No fewer than two (2) security officers will be on-site at any given time, and more as needed based on operations.
DHS security officers will arrive at 6:45 AM and leave at 7:00 PM to ensure staff safety when arriving at or leaving the building.
Sheriff’s officers are constantly patrolling the area to ensure that the homeless are not setting up camp outside the gates of the building.
If anyone has questions or concerns stemming from the Safe Stay Center opening, please contact Natalya Kalinovskiy at kalinovskiy@upe1.org.