On a recent Friday afternoon, I observed homeless people at Veterans Memorial Park near Auburn high School doing drugs. I saw dealers openly waiting in cars for their customers, not afraid of being watched or caught.

The drug activity is very brazen, and we need a police presence to rid the drug dealings. We need to take back our community parks for their general purpose.

The park is beautiful in parts, but there are garbage-strewn areas by the homeless with graffiti on structures and human waste.

On Saturday afternoon at Les Gove, I saw the same results. Not far from kids playing, people were doing drugs at a picnic table, mere yards from the Auburn Library front door.

I realize the police are very busy trying to keep us safe, but the police need to spot check the bad parks in our community.

We need to make Auburn like it use to be. Talking to various people who live in the downtown core, they are concerned about being bothered by homeless near the bus stop at Fred Meyer, drug paraphilia left on benches at Safeway and finding needles left behind for curious children.

We need to get a handle on the increased homeless population in our city.

Deputy Mayor Largo Wales is committed to neighborhood safety, stronger homelessness policies and economic growth for small business ventures. Largo will work with the City Council to adopt stronger policies to control the out-of-control homeless issues in the city.

Here is your chance to make a difference.

– Kathy Lamar