A Florida city is playing ‘Baby Shark’ throughout the night to prevent homeless people from sleeping in the park.
Songs such as Raining Tacos and Baby Shark are being played on loop outside the Waterfront Lake Pavilion, a famous event spot, according to Good Morning Tampa Bay.
City spokeswoman Kathleen Walter said to CNN the songs were meant to deter people from ‘congregating at the building’ and to ‘encourage people to seek safer, more appropriate shelter.’
“The music volume complies with City code, and is a temporary measure, as we are exploring the possibility of having set hours for the Great Lawn and Pavilion,” she added.
Mayor Keith James said that the plan was implemented after people found ‘unsanitary things’ in the park, such as human waste.
“Workers in the morning were finding some unsanitary things, including human faeces, around the Lake Pavilion,” he said.
Parks and Recreation director Leah Rockwell said to the Palm Beach Post that people pay ‘thousands of dollars’ to use the pavilion so it is vital to make sure it is clean.
“We wanted to make sure people paying this money had a facility that was clean and open and continue to use it in the future,” she said.
However, the move has been criticized by many, who have called it ‘inhumane’ and ‘immoral.’
The interim director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, Megan Hustings, told CNN that the move shows a ‘lack of concern’ for those who ‘are struggling through a very tough time.’
“Responding with this kind of discrimination and disgust instead of compassion is… really immoral. It’s disturbing,” she expressed. “We’re all humans, and we need to sleep.”
City commissioner Richard Ryles also said: “There is a fine line between being humane and inhumane when trying to deal with the homeless.
“All of us are probably just one paycheck away from being homeless. And so, I [would] want someone to be compassionate with me.”
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments section and SHARE this post with your family and friends!