Private School Officials Call for ‘Safe Zones’ Around Campuses

A local private school administrator is calling on City officials to establish “safe school zones” around all public, private and charter school campuses, citing repeated concerns about people loitering near students.

However, specific requests for the safe zone have not been made.

The requests, sent to the City’s Housing, Homeless and Planning Committee, came after pictures surfaced last week of people doing drugs across the street from the school parents and local residents began imploring local officials for help.

The committee meets tonight at 5 p.m. in Council Chambers.

“The Hill Avenue Library reopened recently, resulting in a visible increase in unhoused activity on the surrounding blocks, with St. Philip the Apostle School a short walk away. We’ve seen a recent increase of apparently unhoused individuals living along Colorado Boulevard between Holliston and the PCC campus,” said Councilmember Jason Lyon, who represents the area. “There are a variety of factors why unhoused folks may be drawn to the area, including access to food, wifi, open space, and shade.”

The City has ordinances covering sidewalk camping and public drug use.

The City Manager has convened a working group that includes Lyon’s office and a multi-department team of city staff to address the situation.

“We’re also in touch with PCC. The police have been working to curb illegal conduct while the PORT and HOPE teams have been working with individual residents to deliver services. They are visiting Hill Avenue on a daily basis,” said Lyon.

Drug use, public consumption of alcohol, and tent camping are prohibited citywide.

Pasadena Police have increased patrols and engagement in the Hill Avenue.

“It is worth noting, on the other hand, that it is not illegal to be homeless. Unhoused individuals behaving peaceably are generally allowed be present in any neighborhood in the city, even if that presence otherwise constitutes ‘loitering.’”

School officials have also called for the safe zone.

“On a regular basis the school principal or I have had to confront individuals engaging illegal activities or harassing parents and/or parishioners who are simply accompanying their children to school.” wrote Father Marcos Gonzales. “At other times we have had to call the police due to this same type of activity when the individuals involved become threatening or violent.

We need to provide this measure of security to the children of our community.”

Gonzalez did not describe an incident of the threatening behavior.

Anthony Yniguez, vice principal of St. Philip the Apostle School, said administrators are asked multiple times a week to respond to people lingering or camping on sidewalks surrounding the campus.

He said some individuals have behaved erratically or appeared to be under the influence of drugs.

Yniguez said he recently spent nearly 30 minutes monitoring a man who was behaving erratically near the school to ensure that the man did not enter the campus or attempt to interact with students through a fence.

That same day, Yniguez said, a group of young men who appeared to be unhoused sat near the school’s fence and smoked. He alleged that some members of the group had used drugs at the nearby Hill Avenue Branch Library during previous encounters.

Yniguez did not specify what restrictions a safe school zone would impose, how large the boundaries would be or what penalties could apply. Any proposal regulating conduct on public sidewalks would likely require the city to define prohibited behavior while accounting for constitutional protections governing access to public spaces.

Pasadena police respond efficiently when contacted, Yniguez said, but officers’ options are often limited when individuals are on public sidewalks and are not committing a crime.

“I believe a safe school zone would give everyone involved the tools to help keep all our children safe with minimal downside to anyone,” he said.

Yniguez thanked city officials for taking the school’s concerns seriously and praised the Pasadena Police Department for its assistance.

“The Pasadena Police Department,” he said, “go above and beyond in helping keep our children safe.”