Arresting, shooting and ticketing homeless people hasn’t accomplished much in the way of ending homelessness, the Los Angeles Police Department has concluded. So, they’re going to try an alternative, and more gentle approach instead.
The Los Angeles Police Commission approved a new policy on Tuesday that directs LAPD officers to treat homeless people with “compassion and empathy,” the Los Angeles Times reported.
The rules instruct officers to offer homeless people information about housing, medical or psychological services. They’re also expected to respect homeless people's right to refuse help.
The policy change comes amid a tense and evolving climate in L.A.
Last year, the city erupted in protests after LAPD officers shot and killed Charly Keunang, an unarmed homeless person on Skid Row. The case gained international attention after a bystander posted a video of the cops shooting Keunang six times. The officers’ actions were deemed “in policy.”
It’s not just the police brutality advocates are fighting. It’s about finding constructive ways to help get people off the streets, instead of fending them off like criminals.
L.A. is considered the country’s “homeless capital,” where there are nearly 47,000 people living on the streets and in shelters.
To help put an end to the issue, the city is preparing to roll out a $2 billion plan to fund about 14,000 housing units.
But providing shelter isn’t a cure-all.
Over the last year, L.A. has been softening authorities’ approach to homeless people to help ease tensions and improve their opportunities.
In April, for example, a federal judge ruled that police can no longer indiscriminately confiscate homeless people’s possessions on Skid Row. Homeless people are already limited in the amount of items they can carry around, and often cart their most valuable belongings, such as medications and identifications.
Now, cops have to give 24 hours' notice before taking someone’s possessions away and the items have to be available for pick up during regular business hours. The ruling excluded anything that poses a threat to health and public safety.
While some advocates say they’re pleased with the new compassionate police policies, they say they’re wary whether the new rules will be enforced.
“We’ll believe it when we see it,” Carol Sobel, a civil rights attorney, told The Times. “You can hand out all the policies you want – that doesn’t make a difference unless you put enforcement behind it.”
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