Civic Register
| 9.18.19
Would You Support a Police Crackdown on Homeless People?
Would you support a police crackdown on homeless?
What’s the story?
- The Trump administration is exploring using local police to remove homeless people from the streets.
- A new report from the president’s Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) said “policing may be an important tool to help move people off the street and into shelter or housing where they can get the services they need.”
- During a fundraising trip to California Tuesday, Trump railed against homelessness, telling reporters:
“We can’t let Los Angeles, San Francisco and numerous other cities destroy themselves by allowing what’s happening. And the people of San Francisco are fed up, and the people of Los Angeles are fed up. And we’re looking at it, and we’ll be doing something about it.”
- Trump complained that homeless people are living on the “best highways, our best streets, our best entrances to buildings” as property owners pay “tremendous taxes” and picked their locations because of “prestige.”
- Nearly 59,000 people are living on L.A. County’s streets, according to the 2019 Greater L.A. Homeless Count. That’s an increase of 12% over 2018.
What’s the response?
- Osha Neumann, a civil rights lawyer who has long advocated for the homeless in northern California, told The Guardian that policing “contributes to the problem rather than solving it.”
“The idea that we can criminalize our way out of a crisis that is the result of the failure of the system to provide basic human needs for a large percent of our population is ridiculous.”
- A spokesperson for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said “the Trump administration’s heartless policies have only exacerbated the matter, harming the most vulnerable in our society.”
What do you think?
Would you support a police crackdown on homeless? How would you solve the homeless problem? Take action and tell your reps, then share your thoughts below.
—Josh Herman
(Stan Lim, Redlands Daily Facts/SCNG)
The Latest
-
IT: 🛢️ New Vermont measure could charge Big Oil for climate damages, and... Do you think Trump is guilty?Welcome to Friday, May 10th, friends... Vermont could be one of the first states to hold Big Oil accountable for the damages read more...
-
Stormy Daniels Takes the Stand in Trump Hush Money TrialUpdated May 9, 2024, 5:00 p.m. EST Adult film star Stormy Daniels, also known as Stephanie Clifford, spent two days on the stand read more... Law Enforcement
-
Vermont Measure to Charge Big Oil for Climate DamagesWhat’s the story? Vermont is expected to become one of the first states to hold Big Oil accountable for the damages caused by read more... Environment
-
IT: Trump's 2016 'deny, deny, deny' campaign strategy, and... How can you help the civilians of Ukraine?Welcome to Wednesday, May 8th, weekenders... As Trump's hush money trial enters it's third week, the 2016 campaign strategy of read more...