The city must become a walkable resort like Las Vegas if it wants to stay competitive, two casino executives said at Friday’s Clean and Safe Atlantic City meeting at City Hall.
And that means dealing with a growing problem of homeless people sleeping on and under the Boardwalk, and in other areas in the Tourism District, they said.
“Look at Atlantic City, and what’s missing? The absence of (tourists) on the streets. You go to Las Vegas, there are people everywhere,” said Mark Giannantonio, president and CEO of Resorts Casino Hotel and president of the Casino Association of New Jersey.
Outreach by the Atlantic City Police Department and the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office has gotten dozens of homeless people into substance abuse and mental health treatment programs, but they are quickly replaced by new arrivals, law enforcement officials have said.
