Policing the Homeless

 A-Z Challenge = P=Police, Policy, public land, personal care.
The picture is truly the nicest picture I could find where police are interacting with homelessness.  I say the nicest because in story after story, picture after picture, video's too numerous to count...Police harass homeless, arrest homeless, talk horribly to them, and in a few recent cases kill them.  This picture they are arresting the wonderful old gentlemen in the white jacket who's prepared meals for the homeless.  This took place in Ft. Lauderdale.  This 80+ year old man has been arrested multiple times, his food thrown out, and the homeless made to scatter.  There's an ordinance in Ft. Lauderdale against feeding the homeless.  This man has fought each arrest and has won and returns to his mission, only to be arrested again.  The last time I read, the police were told to leave him alone.........however, what about other people in that city, other locations where someone wants to help?  The ordinance hasn't been changed.  And sadly, Ft. Lauderdale is NOT the only city with such an ordinance.

This is a memorial of a homeless man who was killed by The LA Police Department.  The man allegedly didn't stop after he'd been tased and so he was shot by 3 Policemen.  This happened on skid row, when police responded to a call about a robbery.  Things escalated, the homeless man didn't want to go with the police, and he fought them and lost his life.  I didn't find information that indicated whether or not he was in fact quilty of said robbery.   The homeless community there with him on the sidewalk was outraged, as were some passers by who felt it wasn't handled very well.  The point is, being Homeless is NOT a crime, but being homeless is indeed criminalized in many cities across the country.

Detroit has a practice of "dumping" homeless.  In tourist friendly areas police round up homeless and in essence kidnap them, put them in police cars and vans and drive out of the city or to a lesser populated area of the city and literally, DUMP the homeless.  There is a law suit currently about this practice.  The area they've been taken from has warming areas, and other services needed by the homeless, so often they painstakingly return to the same area.

Recently in New Mexico a homeless man was shot in the back (multiple times), police say he was going for a knife.  They may stand trial for murder, that's yet to be determined.  He had a camp set up on the outskirts of the city,  and they wanted it gone .

Tent Cities in New Jersey, California, Florida, Colorado, Hawaii and Virginia and more are being raided by police. By raided, I mean people are told to vacant and their items are trashed if they don't comply immediately.  One city has a brochure suggesting people trim all their bushes and trees and clean out any brush so there's not place hidden where homeless might live or set up for the night.

While being homeless isn't a crime, almost everything associated with it is.  It's a crime to panhandle, sleep in a park or on a bench, or sit in an alley, to camp on public land.  It's a crime to lotter...and many homeless must lotter during the daylight houses, walk the streets etc until it's time to get into a shelter.  So, you see it's quite a vicious circle.

Many police departments consider homeless an inconvenience to them.  They consider homeless to be lazy bums, mentally ill, drug addicts and alcoholics.  And certainly, that's true in some cases, but it's also true many are not.  Some police departments do try to direct homeless to areas where they can get help, but not enough from the articles I read.  Some police enforce the statutes, some look the other way feeling there are more important things to do.  There doesn't seem to be a standard.

This isn't being written to make people choose sides, but to open peoples minds about the extent of homelessness and it's associated problems.  Homeless try to be invisible, they don't want to be noticed. They don't want to wear bright colors, thus my constant request for dark colors, items with minimal stripes.  By not calling attention to themselves, they have a better chance of going unnoticed by police and others.  The Police are charged with upholding the law and so that automatically puts them against homeless people and all that it entails.

Some people say that homeless are lazy.  I think the energy it takes to stay alive, to stay safe, to find food, to find lodging, to move from the street to the shelter and back again, and to stay away from the police takes alot of energy; both mentally and physically.

We do what we can to help ease their burden by supplying them with warmth in the form of hats, scarves, mittens, slippers, and socks.  We collect and donate personal care items, that are so needed, how else will they be able to clean up, to feel more human, to be able to work.  YES, many homeless do have jobs.  Many homeless are children who need to go to school.

Can you do something to help?  The answer is YES.  There is something everyone can do, it's just a matter of what you're financial, physically, and emotionally are able to do.

All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated. The Power of One is awesome, and when we work together The Power of One becomes The Power of Many.

Jack Otis Classmate, Jack Otis Homeless

Meet my fellow classmate and friend, Jack Otis. By the hair style you might be able to guess the photo is from the sixty's. 1969 was the graduating year to be exact. Look at that infectious smile and twinkle in his eyes. Now for younger folks, seeing this picture -- you might be shocked to see someone dressed for their senior picture. Being barefoot, in casual clothes, outside leaning on a tree or sitting with the family pet was never ever done! The men always wore coats and ties.  Your picture couldn't be put in the year book otherwise.

Jack and I graduated from Whetstone High School back in 1969 in Columbus, Ohio. Unlike most of my classmates I didn't know Jack for eons and eons. We didn't attend grade school and junior high together.  His family didn't live in the same neighborhood forever, like so many of us. In fact, very little is known about Jack's family. Jack lived with his Dad. None of us knew anything about his mother, except that she wasn't around. Those who knew his home life, remembered his Dad as not being a particularly stable person. Jack was new to our school, he came from someplace in Kentucky. Some classmates believe he moved around a lot.

During those high school years, classmates remember Jack as fun to be with, perhaps even a bit on the wilder side. He was full of life, a bit ornery. Not wild as in bad, but not a mild quiet, stay to oneself type of person. He liked to drink PBR (translation for the younger set, Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer). I should also add that drinking at age 18 was legal back in our day. We had what was called low beer, 3.2 and those 18-19 and 20 could drink that, but you had to be 21 to drink hard liquor and or high beer...high beer is the beer that's out now days. 3.2 no longer exists.

Jack like to drive around on old trails in his Bugged Eyed Sprite (sports car). He was chosen to be Nancy Edgars' escort for The Home Coming Court. That was a big deal, back in the day. Jack was popular folks. He was well liked, he was good looking guy...which you can clearly see from his picture.

 He died in the year 2000, alone and penny-less. He died homeless in the outskirts of Tucson, Arizona. He lived in a hobo camp outside the city limits and is buried in a small paupers grave in Pima County, Arizona. That area set aside in the cemetery for those without family, those who are indigent, those who have no means of another burial.  He was 49 years young.  I was heart broken when I pieced together his story, as were many of my classmates.  Searching for classmates for a class reunion is how this sad story came to light.  I was contacted by an old friend of his who shared that he had been working in North Central Wyoming in 1981 as a doodlebugger on seismic crews drilling for oil on ranches.  He went from there to Colorado and worked, but after that they lost touch.  I don't know or when he ended up in Arizona, or when he started riding the rails.

What happened to make this smiling good looking young man die alone and homeless? We know he chose to travel some after graduation, and for a short while, we know a fellow classmate gave him lodging in Tucson. That didn't last long, as Jack returned to the hobo camp and died sometime later.  This is the sad face of homelessness folks. I'm willing to bet you all have someone in your past with a similar story. He was someone's son. He was a friend. It makes me sad to know he's buried in a pauper's grave. The reality that truly anyone can be homeless is a sobering fact.

There are many causes of homelessness, but regardless of circumstances they are people, they are someone's son or daughter, they are someone's friend.  We must lend a hand.  So, for all the Jacks in the world I ask.......can you help?

All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated. The Power of One is awesome, and when we work together The Power of One becomes The Power of Many.

Caring for the Needy

A-Z Challenge = N= Needy

Doing a search for the definition of needy I found this:

: not having enough money, food, etc., to live properly

: needing a lot of attention, affection, or emotional support

Certainly someone curled up on the sidewalk is in need of help.  It's hard to get through a day when you don't see some kind of need, see someone in need.  None of us have the ability to supply all the needs of those in need, but we can do what we can do.........one day at a time, one kindness at a time, one donation at a time.

We here on Bridge and Beyond care for the homeless and the needy.  In addition to caring for the homeless that live in the elements, and the shelters, we care for children in need at schools in low income areas.  Many of these children are homeless, or come from a home one step above being homeless.  We supply hats, scarves, and mittens to schools so those children in need can join their classmates and go outside for recess vs staying in.........being shunned because they are different.

There are so many needs, surely there is something each of us can do to help.

All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated. The Power of One is awesome, and when we work together The Power of One becomes The Power of Many.