This Is Florida: West Palm Beach Playing Children's Songs To Keep Homeless Out Of Public Areas

In an attempt to curb homeless people sleeping in public parks, a Florida city has been blasting children’s music overnight.

Gates, spiked fences, and prohibiting tents have been some of the ways cities and towns have tried to curb homeless people from squatting in public parks. West Palm Beach, Florida, has decided to go the route of annoyance with the use of popular children’s songs.

City officials decided to start playing songs like “Raining Tacos” and “Baby Shark” overnight at the Waterfront Lake Pavilion to keep people from sleeping in the area. According to spokeswoman Kathleen Walter, the decision was done to prevent people from “congregating” near the Pavilion’s buildings 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,” Walter said.

And this is not a new tactic for West Palm Beach. West Palm Police started playing classical music in abandoned buildings in 2001 as a means to deter squatters and even criminals from using them.

However, the new approach has been met with plenty of pushback. Megan Hustings, the interim director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, said the plan “shows a lack of concern for our community members who are struggling through a very tough time.”