Education

BOMA Oklahoma City is committed to provide educational opportunities for commercial real estate professionals on issues that impact our industry. Educational classes, luncheon programs, seminars, webinars and tours are offered on a variety of important and timely topics. BOMA International offers a broad range of programs and seminars including the innovative BEEP® energy efficiency program.  In cooperation with BOMI International, we also offer professional designation programs including Real Property Administrator (RPA) and Facilities Management Administrator (FMA) designations.

Follow up from last week's session on Homelessness:

HOMELESSNESS - COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

Thank you to those that were able to attend the BOMA Oklahoma City discussion on the growth of the homeless population.  

The speakers included Attorney Chris Griswold, Oklahoma County Commissioner Brian Maughan, and Judge Natalie Mai. 

Topics of discussion included how the increased homeless population is negatively affecting CRE property owners/managers and method to deter vagrants.  The speakers provided the group resources for assistance with camp sites and graffiti and explained property owner’s rights and actions that can be taken. 

We would like to share some helpful information with our members and followers. 

  • CAMP SITE CLEAN UP - If in Oklahoma County there is presence of a homeless campsite, please report to the Oklahoma County Commissioner, Brian Maughan at 405-824-3120.  Brian Maughan’s SHINE Program was created to clean up such areas to provide a safe environment for the community.  The group will visit the site, remove vagrants, or call for support from the Homeless Outreach Team (H.O.T) if needed, and then clean up any debris. 
    • Please keep in mind, they must obtain approval from the property owner before they are allowed to do work on the premises. 
    • Also, they cannot cut down any trees, bushes or overgrowth that is enabling the vagrants. 
    • If you have a commercial dumpster that is not always full before it is emptied, the SHINE Program welcomes the use of the dumpster to help dump some of this trash.  Their containers get full daily and sometimes need a dumpster for overflow debris. 
  • GRAFFITI REMOVAL – The SHINE Program also partnered with local police to assists with graffiti removal.  Please report any graffiti immediately to the Action Center and they will relay this information to the SHINE crew; https://www.okc.gov/residents/action-center/report.  It is important to remove graffiti right away as this is typically communication between gangs and correlates to crime activity. 
  • DETERANCE APPROACHES
    • Install no loitering signs.
    • Lock dumpsters, storage areas, outside electrical / water supplies.
    • Keep property illuminated.
    • Cut back any landscape areas that create a secluded space. 
    • Hire security officers.
    • Invest in monitored surveillance systems.    
  • WHAT TO DO
    • Notify Security (if applicable), or call the Police (non-emergency line), to report unauthorized people, loiters, on private property. 
    • Police will ask the person to leave the property.  If they refuse, they could be arrested. 
    • Be prepared to press charges.  If this a repeat offender, or the vagrant was aggressive and there is a concern for safety, press charges. 
    • Though they may not get sentenced to time in jail, they could be given community service and must participate in the SHINE Program.  As Judge Mai explained, the cost to have non-violent offenders in jail costs the taxpayers around $65/per day.  They are utilizing programs such as SHINE to make these people work off their debt.   
  • LIABILITY
  • Take action to limit the presence of homeless and vagrants.  A reasonable effort to mitigate any potential threat must be taken, otherwise the liability for damage or injury could be on you, your employer, or the property owner.