How We Found New Patterns in LA’s Homeless Arrest Data
Local police departments are using that Broken Window theory to harass the Homeless so they leave, or end up in jail.<p>In my county, we don&#x27;t have much crime, but Homlessness was inching up there.<p>Hell, I live in Marin County.  The enclave to the successful Founders.  They make their wad, and many end up here.  They like to &quot;act&quot; liberal.<p>Well, the cops basically harass the homeless.  I have an aqqaintance who lives basically in a Scotch Broom thicket.<p>He told me the how the Coos are ticketing for everything.  If you claim you didn&#x27;t do one of these alleged crimes, they just come down on you harder.  He said, I live in fear.  I used to worry about dying on the streets with pneumonia; now I worry I will end up in San Quentin.  &#x27;Hell--maybe, I&#x27;d be better off?&#x27;<p>Marin County dosen&#x27;s have a big crime problem, but Homlessness was inching up.<p>I recently saw a middle aged women commit the crime of sitting on a sidewalk.  She just sat down.  I thought she must be tired.<p>Well five cops came raining down on her.<p>A big female cop, picked her up, threw her against a wall, and frisked her aggressively.  The cop appeared to enjoy treating this women terribly?  Yes--the cop seemingly enjoyed her job too much?<p>Cops,  &quot;I don&#x27;t recognize her?  She must be homeless?&quot;<p>They then emptied her purse on the sidewalk.  A tampon, and a stick of Chapstick rolled into the wet gutter.  Her well worn journal&#x2F;phone book was face down getting wet.  It was a depressing scene.<p>It seemed like they were all asking her questions at the same time.  They warned her to, &quot;just get on that bus!&quot;<p>They took digital pictures of her.<p>The whole ugly incident was out of a Spielberg picture.<p>I couldn&#x27;t believe the way she was being treated.  Most of us would be taliking to a lawyer after an incident like that?<p>This is America&#x27;s new way of dealing with Homlessness.<p>My county has basically one homeless shelter.  It&#x27;s usually filled up, and has a arms list of rules.<p>Again, my county has very little crime.  We just have people who were inched out of the game.  Some had mental breakdowns.  Some were screwed over by family members--&quot;loved ones&quot;.  Sone just lost their job.<p>Many were former Programmers, or at least the one&#x27;s I&#x27;m familiar with.  Yes--it seems like a lot of Programmers end up homless?<p>It makes sence in a way.  You turn forty&#x2F;fifty, and you&#x27;re expendable.  No unions.  Usually--far from family.  No options?  And no real skills.  You spent your best days thinking everything will be o.k., until that day.  You show up to interviews, but no call backs.  Your skills get rusty.  The bank account dwindles.<p>I&#x27;m really appalled at how cites are taking care of the Homeless problem.  All I can do is write about what I see.<p>And yes--I&#x27;m very close to being harassed by some cop too.  Great feeling?<p>Let me repeat, my county has very little crime.  So little, newspapers use police logs as humor.  For instance,&quot;Woman reported ugly man picking lemons off the ground.  We couldn&#x27;t find perpetrator after a lengthy search of the neighborhood.&quot;<p>I guess Rudy&#x27;s way of cleaning up New York is the new norm?  Harass, and use the system to get them to move?<p>The problem is my county has virtually no crime?  We just can&#x27;t afford another rate increase, and many if us have no social network to fall back upon.