West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James wants to keep the area "pristine"
West Palm Beach is blasting ‘Baby Shark’ to drive away homeless people
BBC reports that official in West Palm Beach, Florida, are blasting children songs ‘Baby Shark’ and ‘Raining Tacos’ to drive homeless people away.
The songs are being played on an endless loop through the night as a deterrent around the city’s Lake Pavilion events venue in downtown waterfront.
West Palm Beach expects to earn t $240,00 from the 164 events held at the venue each year.
Mayor Keith James says “unpleasant remnants” including human faeces were found near Lake Pavilion’s entrance.
“When people pay good money for it, they should be able to enjoy the facility they pay for,” James said.
He added that the children’s songs were chosen “because they’re pretty aggravating if you hear them over and over”. The mayor hopes the deterrent will keep the area “pristine”.
Pinkfong’s ‘Baby Shark’ YouTube videos have garnered over 5 billion views.
There are around 354 homeless people in West Palm Beach, which is 24% less than last year. Advocates of the homeless argue that the deterrent method is cruel.
“These are people who are already in desperate straits and this is an effort to make life even more miserable for them,” says Maria Foscarinis, founder and executive director of the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty. “Driving them out by blaring music is just inhumane and really shocking.”
“How horrible to take something that is meant in such an innocent way and use it in such a mean and really evil way,” she added. “The solution isn’t to drive these people away by making their lives even more miserable. The solution is to work together to create real alternatives.”