Page 1 of 2
Homeless people are criminals!
Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 10:21 pm
by Tsukiyumi
Police crack down on Houston's homeless
12:37 PM CDT on Tuesday, August 26, 2008
By Wendell Edwards, Shern-Min Chow & Carolyn Campbell / 11 News
HOUSTON - Three Houston Police divisions on Tuesday launched a zero-tolerance initiative against the homeless.
Crackdown on Houston's homeless
August 26, 2008
Carolyn Campbell's report
Shern-Min Chow's report
Police officers, some on horseback and bicycle, launched the department's crackdown early in the morning.
Most of the homeless indviduals were warned to pack up their things and move along.
But one woman was ticketed because she had an open can of beer right next to where she was sleeping.
She claimed the beer was not hers.
Some who know about the new initiative call it HPD politics, while others said it was a good move for safety. But whatever people said about the program, it was not a secret to those living on the streets.
"Everybody knows there is going be a sweep on Tuesday. The police wants to make chief, so he's going to use the homeless to do it," said Jesse, who is one of Houston's homeless.
Panhandling often aggravates those working or travelling downtown. And some residents don't believe the homeless should be there at all.
"There are jobs out there for anybody. It's freeloading to me," said Chad Snipes, a Houston resident.
Snipes supports a police roundup of the people living on the streets, but homeless advocates argue that the actions are a waste of time.
"To pick people up and put them in jail, only to release them a couple of hours or days later to be homeless again, is not the most effective or efficient way to deal with the problem," said Anthony Love, who is member of the Coalition for the Homeless.
Link
Good to know I live in such a caring, tolerant, helpful city.
Re: Homeless people are criminals!
Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 10:27 pm
by stitch626
but homeless advocates argue that the actions are a waste of time.
Not only a waste of time, but also inhuman and stupid. Most people are not homeless because they want to be. The government penalizing the homeless is like a school penalizing a student for failing a test on a subject they were never taught.
Re: Homeless people are criminals!
Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 11:51 pm
by Sonic Glitch
stitch626 wrote: The government penalizing the homeless is like a school penalizing a student for failing a test on a subject they were never taught.
Shhhh! Don't give them ideas!
Re: Homeless people are criminals!
Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 11:52 pm
by Tsukiyumi
Seriously.
Re: Homeless people are criminals!
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 12:00 am
by Mark
I actually know alot of homeless people, who are trying to put their lives back together, and it's not as easy as it sounds. Employers usually don't want to hire someone who doesn't have an address or lists their address at a homeless shelter. Most have underlying issues, such as drug/alcohol dependancy, mental health issues, or are physically handicapped and the monthly check from the government CANNOT support them. They need to be helped, not harassed and persecuted.
Re: Homeless people are criminals!
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 12:02 am
by Tsukiyumi
I agree. This isn't the first time Mayor White has done a "sweep" of the homeless, but last time, they only took their stuff, and moved them out of the city...
Re: Homeless people are criminals!
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 6:30 am
by Mikey
I'm trying to imagine the conversation...
5-0: "Move along. You can't be here."
homeless individual: "Where should I go? I'm homeless!"
5-0: "That's why you have to go."
Re: Homeless people are criminals!
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 7:23 am
by Teaos
How do you ticket a homeless person? What if they dont pay?
Re: Homeless people are criminals!
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 8:47 am
by Tsukiyumi
I'll see if I can find a video link, but you all are still missing it: this time they're
arresting people. For being homeless. Oh, but some other crimes were committed in the (affluent) general area, and some of these people might've been involved. They arrested a guy for offering to wash people's windshields. Yeah, it's annoying, but it's hardly a criminal offense.
Teaos wrote:How do you ticket a homeless person? What if they dont pay?
They arrest you, and give you some jail time. It's a nice cheap source of labor, you know. Cheaper than illegal immigrants, in fact.
Re: Homeless people are criminals!
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:47 am
by Teaos
But dont jails cost a lot of money to build/maintain.
Re: Homeless people are criminals!
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:59 am
by Tsukiyumi
Teaos wrote:But dont jails cost a lot of money to build/maintain.
A lot of it is privatized now, at least in Texas; the companies build and run the prisons, and make huge profits on labor projects. Yay capitalism!
Re: Homeless people are criminals!
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 10:27 am
by Sionnach Glic
Companies running prisons?
Only in America.
Re: Homeless people are criminals!
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 12:12 pm
by Tsukiyumi
Rochey wrote:Companies running prisons?
Only in America.
Not like it's a recent phenomenon, either.
http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Crime_pays ... 92008.html
Re: Homeless people are criminals!
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 12:17 pm
by SteveK
I think that we can all agree that homeless people are a blight on the community. Most of us wouldn't want a bunch of bums hanging around our own neighborhoods. However, the existence of homeless people is really a problem with the mental health and social service systems. They should be encouraged to take advantage of the numerous programs the government offers.
Re: Homeless people are criminals!
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 12:20 pm
by Aaron
SteveK wrote:I think that we can all agree that homeless people are a blight on the community.
Yeah! Scum, scum, scum, scum...scum!
Most of us wouldn't want a bunch of bums hanging around our own neighborhoods.
Why would that be exactly?
However, the existence of homeless people is really a problem with the mental health and social service systems.
See below.
They should be encouraged to take advantage of the numerous programs the government offers.
What programs? Would that be the extensive social assistance network that the US provides it's citizens?
