Homeless in Boulder: OSMP Rangers

“It’s not just one population or the other that aren’t allowed to camp in open space; nobody can camp in open space.” -Geoff Jasper, Ranger Operations Supervisor.

Julia Caulfield continues reporting on the homeless population in Boulder with the Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) rangers. She takes a ride with the rangers to see where people are camping and how the rangers deal with the homeless issue in Boulder.

“I am empathetic to their plight, but that being said, there are certain . . . laws that’s our job to enforce. And there are resources we provide to them.”

The OSMP rangers claim they are not specifically looking to target homeless in the parks. Their purpose is to protect the open spaces and parks from damage that is often caused by campers such as fires, digging trenches, and cutting down trees.

The mandate to protect these natural spaces does put them at odds with the homeless community whether they want to be or not. It is yet another aspect of this issue that remains difficult to figure out how the homeless fit in with the Boulder community.

This is part two in a series by Julia Caulfield on the homeless issue in Boulder. This series looks at this problem from the perspective of the shelters, park rangers, city, and homeless.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download