KTLA Meanest Cities Report Coverage
Please click on the KTLA link to view a 2-minute segment that helps contextualize the report narrative, as well as the numerous media reports. The video clearly shows the intent of the initiative and it’s intended targets.
Organize, don’t agonize!
REUTERS \”Los Angeles accused of criminalizing homelessness\”
Reuters brings the case of Los Angeles’ being the “meanest city” to the sight-line of the international community. What is clearly a human rights debacle is finally being seen by the world. This blog has written extensively about the the ill effects and impacts of the Safer City Initiative. We would urge you to read the many posts and pages to fully acclimate yourself to the real depths of the tragedies.
The list is long…but we need your involvement.
Daily News, L.A. is criticized as \”meanest city\” in America
A cursory search using the terms ” 10 meanest cities” quickly leads the researcher to one conclusion, bad things are happening in downtown Los Angeles. Troy Anderson, reporter for the Daily News, wrote a story about “Homes Not Handcuffs,” a report released by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty which chronicles LA as the meanest city in the country. A designation which ultimately has let the cat out of the bag regarding human rights violations that continue to occur in downtown Los Angeles.
Mayor Villaraigosa’s Office, which totally loves to play in the media limelight, provided a written statement by an unknown staffer signaling that all is not well in “Tony’s Paradise.” If they thought the written statement would protect them–or cover their butt’s–they are sadly mistaken. In reality, once the political speeches are finished and the rhetoric dies the only thing left are the facts.
In the case of SCI one fact is clear, the Mayor knowingly targeted predominantly poor and homeless African-American’s in a scheme that was meant to arrest, imprison and disappear an entire community of Black folk. Why, because his financiers in the business community promised him mo’ money…mo’ money…mo’ money and the help he needed to continue bank-rolling his political future.
In the end Tony [Mayor Villar] is left holding the bag, alone. The LAPD, who hands down have been the brutal enforcement arm of this wayward ponzy scheme, would not even return calls to offer a comment. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority [LAHSA] which controls millions of dollars, mostly pass through dollars from the Federal Government, also had nothing to say.
As of late the Mayor’s Office has been busy attempting to string together a coherent message regarding his failed homeless and housing plan. But, it now appears that he might have a bit more more explaining to do.
For Immediate Release
Contacts:
Becky Dennison, Los Angeles Community Action Network, 213-840-4664
Pete White, Los Angeles Community Action Network, 213-434-1594
Casey Horan, Lamp Community, 323-252-0803
Anat Rubin, Lamp Community, 818-645-7326
July 14, 2009. Los Angeles’ criminalization of homelessness and poverty is the most egregious in the country, according to a report released today by the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty and the National Coalition for the Homeless.
Homes Not Handcuffs: The Criminalization of Homelessness in U.S. Cities presents the results of research regarding laws and practices in 273 cities across the country. The report cites the so-called “Safer Cities Initiative,” a discriminatory police crackdown that has trapped tens of thousands of poor, homeless and disabled residents in the criminal justice system, as the primary factor in the decision to grant Los Angeles the dubious honor of #1 Meanest City. A previous report, released in January 2006 before the Initiative began, ranked Los Angeles the 18th meanest city.
The Safer Cities Initiative crackdown that pushed Los Angeles to the top brought more than 100 extra officers to a 50-square block area with relatively low rates of serious or violent crime. In the first two years of the Initiative, these officers made more than 750 arrests each month, routinely escalating charges, in a community that’s home to just 13,000 people. They have also handed out more than 1,000 citations each month for “crimes” such as crossing the street “against a flashing red hand.” When a poor or homeless Skid Row resident can’t pay the fine, the citation turns to warrant and leads to arrest.
The report also cites the racial disparities in Skid Row enforcement and escalating police brutality resulting from the initiative, as well as the city’s lack of housing and services. The city spends $6 million each year on the additional police officers on Skid Row, about equal to the amount it “invests” in homeless services for the entire year.
This report, placing Los Angeles at the bottom of the nation in constructive and effective approaches to homelessness, comes on the heels of a United Nations report released last month in which UN Expert on Racism, Mr. Githu Muigai, condemned the disparate law enforcement efforts against African American homeless persons in Los Angeles’ Skid Row.
Homes Not handcuffs: The Criminalization of Homelessness in U.S. Cities
In response to the recent LAPD crime survey, which LA CAN members found both biased and convoluted, members submit a written response as well as produce thousands of signatures opposing Safer Cities
As discussed numerous times on this blog, in September 2006, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Chief Bratton launched the Safer Cities Initiative (SCI), which placed more than 100 additional police officers in the 0.85 square mile area known as Skid Row. These additional officers are responsible for the escalating number of citations and arrests made in the community. In the first two years of SCI, over 19,000 arrests were made and 24,000 citations were given to poor, disabled and predominantly African-American residents in a community of about 13,000-15,000 residents.
To add insult to injury under SCI, on May 12th the LAPD launched a survey campaign focusing on crime levels and police presence in Skid Row as a means to create support for SCI in an environment of shrinking resources. Though the results of the survey have yet to be released, the tone, language and survey content appear to be biased. For example, the LAPD survey includes chronic homeless encampments as a potential criminal justice issue – although homelessness is an inevitable consequence of a lack of the affordable housing and emergency shelter and is not illegal.
The LAPD survey also includes questions addressing “quality of life” issues. “Quality of life” policing refers to the increased enforcement of minor offenses such as jaywalking, littering and loitering and is responsible for the high number of citations given to community residents. These questions raise the issue of whose quality of life is LAPD and the City trying to improve? We have witnessed for years the prioritization of the quality of life for the newer, more affluent residents over the quality of life for the low-income residents that receive tickets with excessive fines and needless warrants.
LA CAN members decided not to participate in the survey for these and other reasons. Instead, we have collected more than a thousand signatures from residents and workers in Skid Row who oppose Safer Cities and we submitted a letter of opposition to LAPD officials about the biased survey on June 30, 2009 (document included at the bottom of this post). Although this may appear to be one small issue within the Safer Cities assault on our community and our numerous organizing strategies to end this racist Initiative, we believe surveys such as this continue to highlight the efforts to find support for the failing and illegal practices of LAPD’s Central Division.
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Click the link above to read online or stop by LA CAN for papers!
By David Wagner
Because the new movie “The Soloist” was filmed in part in Los Angeles’ Skid Row/Central City East, and used a number of extras from the area in the film, there was more than the usual anticipation for the opening of a Hollywood flick. Unfortunately, any resemblance to the reality of Skid Row and its residents is lacking.
It is quite a bit through the movie before there are any camera shots of Skid Row at all. Then camera panning near dusk, a crowd of people with vacant looks on their faces and threatening gestures crowd the character of Steve Lopez (played by Robert Downey Jr) as he drives to find Nathaniel Ayers (played by Jamie Foxx). In this and several others scenes in the film, the movie presents Skid Row residents a bit like the Zombie-like creatures in the famous horror movie “The Night of the Living Dead.”
Now, no one says that poverty or homelessness is going to be pretty. But why exaggerate so much? Why make these poor people, overwhelmingly African-American, so threatening and appear so devoid of reason and feeling? Unfortunately the question answers itself: classism and racism abound in this flick. I myself am a white college professor, and have spent much time with homeless and poor people in several East Coast cities, as well as have walked through Los Angeles’ Skid Row. I have rarely felt threatened anywhere by homeless people (who are more threatened by others) and rarely witnessed a lack of reason and judgment as the movie portrays. The film I think is assuaging the guilt that some movie goers may have, those who paid their ten dollars, and coming into the movie maybe thinking they should do something about poverty. Now they can sit back, finish their popcorn, and happily go home.
Of course, the entire story is one that is greatly appealing to many middle class audiences. Here is this talented professional (Lopez) who is good enough to find from the mass of nameless and expressionless people, a talented musician (Ayers). He tries like anything to help him, and is often rebuffed by the troubled Ayers. Yes, this story happened, and the characters and friendship of Lopez-Ayers is an interesting one. However, it should not take a Julliard music student to attract attention to homeless or poor people, and it should not only be a superbly talented musician who is deserving of help. It is sort of a Cinderella story- of the one person finding the one poor person who is worthy- and while this is reassuring to many people I suppose; it does nothing positive about the many more thousands of people who are suffering. The truth is there are so many worthy people with many talents and skills out here in Skid Row and in other neighborhoods, and they too need their real stories told, not stereotypes.
David Wagner is the Distinguished Visiting Professor at California State University at Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) who has been working with LACAN in recent months.
As members of the International Network of Street Newspapers LA CAN was granted the opportunity to participate in the 15th Annual Assembly General Meeting and Conference. We were joined in Bergen by ninety-four magazines and street papers representing over 33 countries–the common goal, social justice and telling the other side of the story. Moreover, we have begun to create relationships and opportunities that will translate into an even more powerful publication.
The Community Connection, LA CAN’s official news organ, has been distributed all over the globe and received raving feedback on it’s unwavering commitment to speak truth to power. We will return to the United States with renewed vision, an even greater tool-kit of possibilities, and a refreshed restorative plan of attack.
Stay tuned for video, pictures and highlights of this memorable occasion.
COMMUNITY ASKS FEDS TO INVESTIGATE LAPD’S
SKID ROW TACTICS
Justice Department Complaint Outlines Rampant Discrimination
and Other Civil Rights Violations
Community residents and groups will file a color of law complaint with the Justice Department this Wednesday, asking federal officials to investigate the Los Angeles Police Department’s Safer Cities Initiative on Skid Row.
New Attorney General Eric Holder recently made a speech about the Justice Department’s role and responsibility in addressing issues of race and discrimination. There is no better example of the intersection of race, poverty, disability and injustice than Los Angeles’ Skid Row, and that’s the message we will take to the Federal Government this week. Community leaders will hold a press conference and then hand deliver their complaint to the local FBI office.
Residents have made every attempt to address this issue on the local level. They have for two years been vocal in their opposition to the Initiative. During that time they conducted numerous delegation meetings to the Mayor’s Office; delivered public testimony to both the Public Safety Committee and entire Los Angeles City Council on numerous occasions; worked with the UCLA School of Law utilizing public records and declarations to clearly illustrate the illegal actions; and, collaborated with the Los Angeles chapter of the ACLU to bring forth a complaint in federal court that found the LAPD — by their own admission — guilty of unconstitutional practices.
All of the protests forced the Los Angeles Police Commission to hold an all-day hearing on the policing in November; however, the injustices continue in broad daylight, on a daily basis, and with reckless abandon. Community groups feel strongly that it’s time for the federal government to step in. The City of Los Angeles must be held accountable to all its citizens and end discriminatory practices.
Press Conference Details:
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
12:30 PM
Federal Building, 11000 Wilshire Blvd.
Low-income tenants at the century-old Alexandria Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, who were subjected to unlawful displacement, shutoffs of heat, water and elevator service, have negotiated a broad-sweeping case settlement in their lawsuit filed in December, 2007. This victory comes after more than three years of tenant organizing to protect their homes, including dozens of LA CAN members. The settlement sets numerous new policies and also provides compensation to the 10 most harmed tenants as well as more than 100 tenants who were wrongfully displaced.
The case of the Alexandria Hotel is much more than the classic “landlord preys on weak and vulnerable tenants” narrative. Those cases are usually characterized by slumlords, in isolation, failing to provide basic services and habitable environments for tenants who are usually poor. In the case of the Alexandria Hotel, the City of Los Angeles and the Community Redevelopment Agency were aware of the problems almost immediately after Amerland Group took control of the property. Tenants consistently raised their voices to City officials and City Councilmembers about the violations of their housing and human rights, yet the City and CRA failed to remedy those situations. But a strong group of organized low-income tenants would not give up, we continued to stand up to the political and developer interests in creating a “new downtown” and, finally, have achieved victory.
The publicly-funded project at the Alexandria, as originally approved by the CRA, was intended to revitalize the property for the benefit of current tenants. However, it became clear pretty quickly that “improving” the property involved more than new paint and kitchenettes—it also meant getting rid of the original tenants, mostly African American, extremely poor people. In response, tenants made numerous visits to Councilmember Huizar and his staff, testified publicly at the CRA Commission (because it was the local funding agency) and City Council, contacted the Mayor’s Office on multiple occasions, collected evidence to support their claims, and educated and organized dozens of tenants to fight against the mass displacement.
Instead of help from City officials, tenants and organizers were routinely ignored, targeted and/or slandered by both the developer and city officials. For example:
Þ There were emails between the developer and City officials accusing tenants and LA CAN staff of lying, drug dealing, and other things to discredit the testimony of poor people
Þ After the problems at the Alexandria were well-documented and shared, letters of support from local and state elected officials, including the Mayor and Councilmember Perry, were provided for a second project by the developer
Þ High ranking LAPD officers attended extended CRA board meetings to provide public support for the developer to off-set complaints made by tenants
Þ Multiple LAPD officers attended eviction court to testify against current tenants, although there were no convictions to report
Again, tenants did not give up in the face of adversity. LA CAN members continued to document the problems and worked with our legal partners at LAFLA to put together an amazing legal team to support the efforts of tenants. This settlement provides some long-deserved justification and compensation for tenants who stood up for their rights, faced eviction, endured humiliation and name calling by Councilmember Cardenas and others, but finally won their David and Goliath story. It also includes policy changes at the Alexandria and the CRA that will prevent similar situations from occurring in the future. LA CAN is proud of all of our members who participated in this fight, especially those who lived at the Alexandria.
Links to some media coverage:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29167925/
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-alexandria13-2009feb13,0,336902.story
press release
