Homeless or Criminal?

Are the homeless criminals, drunks and drug addicts? A few are, but not all. The question is how do we treat our homeless citizens who are not breaking any laws, yet satisfy the complaints from those who want the homeless gone? This Charlotte Observer article touches on the issue. We are a nation of laws and our laws must be obeyed. We are also a nation of givers and organizations which help our homeless are worthy of support. The Urban Ministry Center, through a myriad of services, have been helping the homeless for years. Take a few moments to visit their web site and if you are so incline you can make a small donation to support their mission.

Police crack down where homeless eat
As uptown grows, so does pressure to keep out homeless
By Franco Ordoñez
fordonez@charlotteobserver.com

In an effort to relocate homeless from a developing area of uptown, police this month launched a crackdown on misdemeanors at a popular gathering spot for free meals.

“The Wall,” as it is referred to, on Phifer Avenue next to the Hal Marshall Center, for years has been a place of refuge for the city's growing homeless population. Advocates for the homeless bring cars full of food several days a week and set up tables to hand out meals and clothes.

The police, pressured by local property owners, began the new project to enforce misdemeanor crimes such as littering and trespassing associated with the meals. It is part of a larger effort to reduce crime in the area.

It's a sticky issue that reflects Charlotte's ongoing struggle over how to balance the needs of its growing homeless community with continued efforts to revitalize uptown. Roughly 5,000 men and women live on Charlotte's streets.

Police said they're receiving a growing number of complaints from area property owners about the homeless. The owner of Rustic Martini bar, at North Tryon and Phifer Avenue, reported that homeless have loitered and urinated on his property, police said. The upscale martini bar opened last summer. Calls to the bar were not returned.

Members of the homeless community say the police are trying to eliminate one of the few places they have to get a hot dinner in uptown.

This is not the first time police have stepped up efforts to control the homeless population in uptown.

In 2003, the city passed an ordinance making it illegal to panhandle within 20 feet of ATMs, outdoor cafes, banks, taxi stands and transit stops. Uptown benches were outfitted with metal bars to stop people from lying down.