Police Trash Another Tent City?

by Josie Raymond · 2010-10-05 12:37:00 UTC
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I guess the cops in Riverside, California haven't heard about the cops in Grand Junction, Colorado. The ones who trashed a tent city and got fired for it. Because Riverside's finest allegedly just tore up an encampment in a particularly vicious way.

The department is currently investigating the claims from homeless residents that police were too aggressive in shutting down a camp in the Santa Ana River riverbed last week. Residents and their advocates charge that officers crushed canned food, poked holes in water bottles, threw clothing in the water and slashed tents and bike tires.

Since police officers in other communities have done this before, nothing is out of the realm of possibility. Quick and decisive action on the part of the police department is important for two reasons: 1) homeless people should be reassured that their rights are as important as those of cops and 2) Riverside has lots of riverbed camps. Less than 10 percent of the area's 600+ homeless people stay in shelters; most sleep in riverbeds, according to city officials.

It seems like a given that good relationships between the homeless and the police would benefit both groups. But right now tensions are high. It doesn't help matters when Riverside Police Chief Sergio Diaz, right after stating that police officers can't destory personal property, says things like, "These folks are sometimes referred to as 'shelter resistant,' and one of the reasons you would resist going to a shelter is because in a shelter you can't sell dope, you can't consume dope and you can't assault people." Stereotyping won't do anything (besides make it obvious he hasn't heard about self-governing and drug-free tent cities like Nickelsville in Seattle).

Regardless of his own opinions, Diaz should complete the investigation as soon as possible and punish any police officers found guilty. If the moral position doesn't appeal to the force, the financial one should: an ACLU lawsuit for a similar tent city shakedown in Fresno in 2006 resulted in a $2.3 million settlement for homeless residents.

Photo credit: lorenzolambertino

Josie Raymond is a Change.org editor who has reported from the streets of the South Bronx, written for several magazines that folded (not her fault) and fixed thousands of typos.
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