A Southern California mayor said he wants to eliminate his city’s homeless population by “giving them all the fentanyl they want,” a controversial comment he doubled down on by saying he supports a federal “purge” of homeless people.
Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris, a Republican, made the comments during a city council meeting on Feb. 25 when a resident questioned him about the city’s plan to address the homeless crisis by “enclosing” the homeless population in a single encampment in an abandoned golf course near a residential neighborhood.
“What I want to do is give them free fentanyl. That’s what I want to do,” Parris responded.
“I want to give them all the fentanyl they want,” he reiterated.
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The resident replied that the mayor’s approach “was not kind.”
The mayor is now facing a recall effort following his comments at the city council meeting, although it has only collected 6% of its goal of 20,000 signatures. He has faced past scrutiny over his controversial moves, including his decision to extend mayoral terms from two years to four.
“For too long, Mayor R. Rex Parris has prioritized personal gain over the well-being of residents. His administration has been marked by mismanagement, controversial policies, and a disregard for transparency,” a recall petition reads.
“Lancaster deserves leadership that listens, serves, and uplifts the community – not one that divides and exploits it,” it adds.
But Parris has reaffirmed his position about wanting to give homeless people the illicit drug that kills thousands of Californians per year. He told Fox 11 on Friday that he has no regrets about his remarks and that he was referring to homeless criminals who “refuse” to seek help.
“I made it very clear I was talking about the criminal element that were let out of the prisons that have now become 40 to 45% of what’s referred to as the homeless population,” Parris said.
“They are responsible for most of our robberies, most of our rapes, and at least half of our murders,” he continued. “There’s nothing that we can do for these people.”
The mayor did not provide data to back up his claims about the number of crimes homeless people are responsible for.
Parris said he did not expect his comments to be taken “literally,” telling the outlet that fentanyl is “so easy” to obtain on the streets that it would not make a difference if the city offered the opioid to homeless people for free.
The mayor sought to credit Lancaster for providing more “innovative” solutions to the homeless crisis than other U.S. cities and floated the idea of a federal “purge” to cut down on the homeless population.
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“Quite frankly, I wish that the president would give us a purge. Because we do need to purge these people,” Parris said.
“Now, is it harsh? Of course, it is harsh,” he continued. “But it’s my obligation as the mayor of the city of Lancaster to protect the hardworking families that live there, and I am no longer able to do it… It’s an untenable situation, and I’m open to any solution… I want these people out of our city.”
Parris, who has been mayor since 2008 and won re-election last year, also made a controversial move in 2018 when he proposed banning workplace dress codes that require wearing neckties over claims that they restrict blood flow to the brain.