Dec 21 2010
Safer Cities Initiative Punishes Homeless and Poor Residents
Today is National Homeless Person’s Memorial Day. The memorial falls on or about the shortest day of each year, in Winter, to acknowledge those who have died without a home of their own. This year the Los Angeles Community Action Network will be using the occasion of the memorial to call attention to its report on the Los Angeles Safer Cities policy in Skid Row. The City of Los Angeles implemented Safer Cities in 2006, ostensibly in response to complaints of crime from various Downtown stake holders. Since then, Skid Row residents and their advocates say policing in the area has focused on redevelopment and removal of the poor, not improved conditions for all. A UCLA study found that in its first year the policy resulted in 750 more arrests per month than in 2005. Of the 12,000 citations issued from September 2006 – August 2007, the majority were for jaywalking. In the first two years of Safer Cities policing, LA CAN reports that the the LAPD issued about 24,000 citations and made over 19,000 arrests in Skid Row. The LA CAN’s survey found that in the last year, police activity in the area continues to focus disproportionately on crosswalk violations, which carry fines of up to $191. It also found that police routinely conducted background checks and handcuffed respondents while issuing violations for minor infractions. Fifty three point six percent of respondents had been arrested in the previous year. As a result of arrest, 51.1% of them lost their housing, 42.2% lost their social services, and 16.4% became unemployed.
GUEST: Becky Dennison, La Community Action Network
Find out more at cangress.wordpress.com.
9 Responses to “Safer Cities Initiative Punishes Homeless and Poor Residents”
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Never mind the facts that Safer Cities has cut overdose deaths on Skid Row by 50% or more, reduced violent deaths/murders at about the same level. Thankfully, we were able to also celebrate more folks still alive today on Skid Row in LA because of Safer Cities Initiative and other life giving measures.
There is no need for me to listen to this bull ish program. This is as one sided as it gets. I’m sure they never talked to the cops or people in Skid Row who support what they are doing. I for one feel safer than ever, and am amazed that more often than not, I can walk down the street without getting robbed or harrassed by the drug delaers that come from south central la and hurt get in the way of people rehabilitating. I thought journalist were supposed to be objective. I don’t agree with everthing the cops are doing, but for the most part what they are doing has been working. LA CAN does not speak for me or the majority of people in skid row. I never see them when people overdose on the street. I never see them when people are getting their asses kicked, or when they are being robbed. I never see them chastize drug dealers who sell drugs inside and outside of local drug programs. All I see them doing is talking the same old crap for the last ten years.
It would be such a breath of fresh air if I could hear some honest reporting on what’s really happening in skid row. I see it first hand without agenda ridden optics.
The fact that a “Reverend” would tend to forget the real facts at what Safer Cities Iniciative has been doing blows me away. I guess the Union Rescue Mission feels like they have to be the “agency” where the police can go too and say “they are helping the homeless.” What needs to be known is that Safer Cities Initiative has “occupy” Skid Row. There is no denying that Skid Row has changed but it has changed because the LAPD has violated people’s rights and have racially profile almost anyone that is a person of color…As for incozi’s comment about LA CAN not being there when people are getting their asses kicked, I guess he hasn’t seen these videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2-pELhYdt4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXAE-NyzqRU&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-u58B0GdTg&feature=related
This is what residents have to deal with under the Safer Cities Iniciative.
Just saw the videos. Once again. Bull sh@t. Footage of percieved police misconduct, recorded after the fact and narrated by people who have a vested interest in making the cops look like monsters. What do you think I’m stupid! I remember seeing a video of the police taking down a guy for eating “sunflower seeds” on San Julian. Now nobody is going to resist the police over sunflower seeds. I live on skid row and I know exactly what he tried to swallow because I swallowed a few when I was selling crack on san julian to support my addiction. This is why LA CAN is full of sh$t. Now that I have turned my life around, I see things clearly. The cops are in Skid Row because of the crime, not because of people’s skin color. I never had a cop detain me and say it was because I was Black. But they did when I had a palm full of rocks in my hand that I sold to an undercover officer five years ago in front of the LA Mission. I got what I deserved for selling crack in front of the mission where there is a drug program. And am thankful that I had a second chance to make it right after getting off probation. Now that I am living clean and crime free, I haven’t had a cop stop me since. You have three youtube videos of percieved police abuse, but I have seen hundreds of homeless men and women being brutilized by the Crips and Bloods who flood our streets with dope, as well as addicts who rob each other feening for their next hit, but you hypocritical cowards will not film that. Cop’s aren’t perfect, and sh$t happens, but I am grateful for the change no matter how unpleasant it came. It was long over due no matter what the motivation. I don’t feel I am losing my rights. I feel I’m getting a chance to gain my life back now that the community is a bit safer. I’ve watched LA CAN do nothing but manipulate the mentally ill, and call it empowerment. The community is hip to you, but many are afraid to say so for fear of being black listed for telling the truth. One of these days the world will see you for who you really are. Don’t think we don’t talk about you and your “other” activities. You can lie to reporters who are clearly on your side refuse to see skid row without biased optics, but you can’t lie to me.
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