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20 tons of trash have been removed from Papago Park following complaints on cleanliness

Posted at 3:41 PM, Sep 24, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-26 19:55:41-04

A few weeks ago, area residents began  telling ABC 15 that they didn't feel safe walking, riding and hiking along the trails of Papago Park.

That is because trash was taking over.

Homeless camps were popping up and the clutter is still covering the trails. 

The city of Tempe has been trying to take action since fielding those complaints by sending out public works crews for hours each weekend. 

"For anyone to say that we're not doing something is really disingenuous because we are," Mayor Mark Mitchell said. "But, we're also looking at the humanistic side, so we're also trying to reach out to those individuals that do need help." 

Since April, the city has been sending outreach teams to help get services for the homeless, Mitchell added.

"This is our ninth time...we're going to have four more clean-ups towards the end of the year and this is an opportunity where, you know, we have to address some of the issues here," Mitchell said.

There will be a city council meeting later in October to try and find long-term solutions to keep the area clean and help the homeless.