FORT SMITH – Fort Smith officials increased their services to deter vagrancy in the downtown area — especially when it comes to its effects on business owners in the area.
The city as noted in a Sept. 10 Central Business Improvement District update has distributed “No Trespassing” signs to business and property owners who want them as a deterrent and identifier for police action if officers see vagrants on properties without patronizing the businesses. Fort Smith police also have more opportunities to see these signs, too — they’ve increased their presence in the downtown area, both in a vagrancy deterrent capacity and as a means to get these individuals the services they need.