West Palm Beach using 'Baby Shark' song to drive homeless from park

City officials in West Palm Beach, Fla., have resorted to using popular children's songs as a way to stop homeless people from sleeping in a local park.

The town said it plays "Baby Shark" on a nonstop loop throughout the night at Lake Pavilion, a popular events venue overlooking the city's waterfront.

An increasing number of homeless people have been using the park's patio as a resting spot, Leah Rockwell, the city's parks and recreation director, told The Palm Beach Post. Rockwell said the music has worked so far, although it's not seen as a permanent fix.

“It has been effective and is a temporary measure to make the area accessible for those who have rented the facility and for future events," Rockwell told the outlet. "We are not forcing individuals to stay on the patio of the pavilion to listen to the music. The music is heard only if you are on the patio, a very small area relative to the rest of the waterfront.”

"Baby Shark" isn't the only track on the playlist, though. The town said it also plays "Raining Tacos," another popular children's song, to keep the homeless population away.

In 2016, the neighboring town of Lake Worth, Florida, tried a similar strategy.

The city continuously played classical music at its downtown Cultural Plaza, hoping the tunes would drive off drug dealers and loiterers. But the plan backfired: instead of leaving the park, many homeless people said they actually enjoyed the music.