Many concerned Tempe residents voiced that it is not the homeless people trying to get back on their feet that concern them. It is the rising group of homeless drug addicts causing havoc and endangering their neighborhoods does.

Randy Keating and Robin Arredondo-Savage, two members of the Tempe City Council, met with concerned residents on Tuesday at the Multigenerational Center to discuss the rise of homelessness in the area.

Tempe police chief Sylvia Moir assured the public that the police department is doing all it can to make sure their opinions are heard.

"We have to recognize that sleeping is a basic human right, even when it comes to our parks. If the shelters don't have space, the person still needs to sleep somewhere. With that being said, the homeless will have a curfew enforced and will be held accountable for their actions," Moir said.

Suzanne Orarke, a Tempe resident and mother voiced her opinion on why the rising number of drug addicted and mentally unstable homeless people concerns her.

"I have an 8-year-old son and he rides his bike to school every day. I don't want to be a helicopter parent, but at the same time, I also don't want to lose my child to something stupid," Orarke said.

Keating and Arredondo-Savage assured the public that the City Council works with the police department and the Homeless Outreach Prevention Effort team, also known as the HOPE team to find solutions to the homelessness in Tempe. The Councilmembers informed the audience that Tempe spends the most money of any Arizona city on human services.

The Councilmembers reminded the public that homelessness is not a crime and that they are doing their best to accommodate to the rising number of homeless people, which has gone up 60 percent in Maricopa County the last two years.

Another homeless related issue that many residents have noticed is the dangerous use of Lime scooters in their neighborhoods. Lime is a California-based company known for its easily accessible scooters.

The scooters, which run for 15 cents per minute, have increasingly made their way into the East Valley. The scooters have made it easier for the homeless to travel with little to no cost. Many residents believe this is attracting them to their neighborhoods.

When asked about scooter regulations, Keating said, "There is not much regulation for these scooters yet, but there is a working group striving to regulate those as we recognize this is an issue. We are looking over the list of recommendations next Thursday. As of right now, the only regulation is that the scooters cannot be on sidewalks."

The last major issue the public spoke on is the lack of helpful and respectful assistance from the police department and their non-emergency hotline. Many residents recalled their experiences when calling the non-emergency hotline and each resident had a negative outcome.

Steve Geiogamah, a concerned Tempe resident, relived his experience with the non-emergency hotline as he explained what took place a few nights ago.

"I've started to see a rise in drug activity among the homeless in Tempe. One night, I saw a transient in the neighborhood, who looked like they were up to no good. I called the non-emergency line and asked them to send an officer," Geiogamah said. "The next morning, I saw nothing had been done. I called dispatch again and they said that they could not send an officer even though I was concerned about the issue taking place."

Moir took responsibility for the hotlines wrongdoings and ended the meeting by saying, "If there are behaviors that you observe among the homeless, that rise to the level where you need a police officer, call the non-emergency number. Or, if it's immediate or a real serious issue, call 911. Describe the person and request an officer. The expectation is that we trace the call and that an officer responds."