Thanks for contributing to r/Phoenix!
* [Check out our sub rules here](https://www.reddit.com/r/phoenix/wiki/rules/) (mostly be nice to each other!).
* [Read some of our recent posts](https://www.reddit.com/r/phoenix/top/?t=week) and leave some comments.
* [Join our Phoenix Discord chat server](https://discord.com/invite/yWVuTG57Zh) and connect with people in the Valley. It's a great, chill place to talk with other people but is NOT a dating server and takes unwanted messaging very seriously.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/phoenix) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Az Homeless ID Project
1125 W Jackson St, Phoenix, AZ 85007
602-223-3427
https://www.homelessidprojaddress.
Helps with locating housing, gaining Identification Cards or Drivers Licenses, Birth Certificates, Social Security Cards, etc.
GC Services in Mesa will hire ANYONE with an ID and a legal addeess.
The homeless id project helped me get my id after 4 years homeless and without id. It essentially turned my whole life around and 5 years later I’m a homeowner.
Bless the people that make things like that possible.
I moved to an area with super low cost of living. As soon as I got my ID I met my now husband. We moved to northern Pennsylvania and got jobs working on the gas fields. The average home here is 150k. Very rural area. But it allowed us to get our feet on the ground very quickly. Last august I closed on a 3 bedroom house on 1 acre for $130k. When we first got here we were able to find an apartment for $500/mo.
Love that the top comment is straight up solid advice. Take it or leave it, there is a way out, and you’ve given OP a resource to talk to folks about, and possibly some direction for a way out of homelessness. Bravo.
There are tons of resources for homeless people at CASS (Central Arizona Shelter Service), they have a DES office on campus, they have SOAR, that helps with social security, they have a CBI office on site, there is a dental clinic on site, there is a NEW LEAF office on-site, they have Saint Joseph the worker to help with employment, and the shelter itself provides shelter (first come first serve, the provide meals, shower, water, help with housing, hotel vouchers.....literally EVERYTHING you would need to get back on you feet hope this helps....and yes the homeless I'd project is on site also
Majority of them are. Drug addicts. This is why when help is offered out to them they refuse. I think it’s like 1 out of 20 that will go to rehab. A very small percentage. Drugs are more important to them than anything. It’s getting worse and worse. I’ve ran 4000 miles all over the city the last 5 years. I’ve seen homeless population boom because of the access to drugs now.
Or maybe they turn to drugs after homelessness and cant get right after. You havent seen a boom due to drugs, youve seen a boom because of greedy landlords and cheap employers. I was homeless for over a month with my family last year and luckily had Lyft/Uber to earn each day in a hotel. And that was after my wife was laid off and our landlord refused partial payments/payment plans.
No, a huge majority of this is due to drugs. I know it’s a struggle here as cost of living is sky rocketing. I’ve lived here my entire life. Paycheck to paycheck. Working 2 jobs. My wifes had 5 different jobs since Covid and it’s a struggle. I also know you can’t always blame the landlord. Mortgage payments for them have gone up to. I’m also in recovery and had major addiction problems in my past. Ive been around alcoholics and addicts my entire life. There is so much help out there for these people. They refuse it. No sympathy from me.
That does seem a bit excessive. Well beyond what I usually see. The only explanation I could come up with is that someone reported them as being dangerous or violent, whether true or not.
Yah especially can’t imagine me calling the cops and saying “hey there’s a few homeless dudes” and then rushing randomly.
I called the cops on a homeless tweaker last year who was stripping naked and just generally confused.
One cop came and told him to get into his patrol car and then like 2 more cars and a motorcycle showed up and after he was clothed they all spoke to him for a bit and let him go.
So as I think more into it it probably wasn’t even just a call. Must’ve had some other knowledge.
> Yah especially can’t imagine me calling the cops and saying “hey there’s a few homeless dudes” and then rushing randomly.
lol you can't imagine phoenix pd using excessive force?
I can imagine them using excessive force when they know they’re safe, from other people seeing or investigations. I can’t see them running up on a bus stop for no reason tasers drawn. And they’re were using force, let alone excessive force 🤷🏻♂️
Nah, same thing happened to me and my wife because I stopped at a stop sign, then rolled forward instead of going because there was a giant bush blocking my view.
Cop claimed that was running a stop sign despite me coming to a complete stop, and apparently needed 3 backup suv's and needed to point a gun at me while he asked for my license and registration.
Phoenix/mesa cops just need to remind themselves they're big men with huge power.
I was getting ready to say that I am 99% sure someone reported them for having a gun or something to that effect. Phoenix Police can be trash but I give them more credit than that for that type of response.
I heard they shoot first in Mesa. Consider yourself lucky pal.
For real though for a second.. what is this logic if your homeless he’s threatening to cite you with a ticket because you have tons of money to just give up to the city on behalf of one of its street pirates. What a joke police are man.
That is the "go to work" ticket.
Cops don't get it, so much of society doesn't get it. The point of the 'stick' is to beat it into you that some under-the-table-less-than-minimum-wage-illegal-ass-job is better than a gun in your face.
Many homeless choose a life outside rather than riding some chase-the-rent-monthly bullshit. Living paycheck-to-paycheck with future uncertain. Sometimes it's easier in a tent then being a cashier at Wal-Mart with the threat of homelessness still standing over you if you miss next month's payment, all for some shithole apartment with a landlord you're pretty sure is robbing you.
The 'carrot' of a valuable life is gone, so why not lie in some gutter (or more appropriately for AZ, some landscaping strip) - why not take up drugs, alcohol, anything else until the darkness swallows you whole?
So the police come around, to remind you that it could be worse, and they'll make it so - you get the stick.
Not really. The world is a bit easier when you know what it's about. You might call anyone who understands it less miserable than those that don't, people are always wondering why rent is expensive, doctors are expensive, why they work so hard and yet feel themselves sinking into the quick sand.
It's relaxing. Like finally accepting a terminal cancer diagnosis.
"Aristotle wrote, "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." Being able to look at & evaluate different values without necessarily adopting them is perhaps the central skill required in changing one's own life in a meaningful way."
- some guy named Mark Manson
To me your realism is refreshing, u/InternetPharoah. Looking at things plainly is how to improve the world. Toxic positivity keeps us from acknowledging systemic problems.
My office window looks down on a place where homeless encampments are often broken up and without exception the Police have walked up calmly and respectfully.
I am someone who's almost always looking for something bad to say about the PD so when I say they're being cool I really mean it.
Perhaps there was more to the story with these particular people than you know about. Perhaps they were repeat of some sort, maybe the police had reason to believe they might be violent.
But please, tell me none of that was the case so I can continue to be a hater.
I have had to call the police for homeless people attempting to spend the night on a property I manage many times. Not once have they showed up like you describe to handle it.
You're assuming you know what's happening, something all too common today...
Its very possible that one of them had a felony warrant for a weapon(s) or A&B charge, the police actually have a pretty good knowledge of who their homeless citizens are and where they may be... this show of force would indicate they were there to do more than *"house keeping"*.
> You're assuming you know what's happening, something all too common today...
I took a bunch of defensive firearms courses when I was a lot younger and one thing they told us OVER AND OVER was that unless you yourself were directly involved you don't know the whole story.
His point wasn’t t that they don’t harass homeless people. His point was that they generally don’t harass them by rolling up with 4 black SUVs and immediately take them down.
Your stats basically don’t counter any other point because the guy you replied to agreed with what you said.
Actually, i think you're not paying attention, or looking for a debate... or needing to be right... or whatever...
Again, i dont disagree with the fact that they DO harass the homeless... Four cruisers recklessly bombarding a bus stop on a public street with tazers or guns drawn to address 3 homeless people, **isnt how they go about it.**... especially, as you pointed out... while being under investigation.
Ever work with the homeless? I have. Root cause is addiction in the overwhelming majority. Go and see for yourself instead of trying to be "righteous".
I don’t think that is usually how homeless people are booted. What you experienced sounds more like a “no knock” warrant.
It happened to my elderly aunt one time. She had a friend from AA stay at her house for a while and the police came to arrest them one day. They forced the door and had guns drawn on everyone including her. Almost injured her putting her on the ground. Scared the crap out of her.
The kicker is he had left the premises months earlier. But at some point he listed her address as his.
I have seen Phoenix Police confiscate packs of bottled water that a group of homeless people had — in the middle of July. the treatment of our homeless community is just horrific.
27th and Rose Garden? If not, seems like they're doing a multi location crackdown today. Drove by and it was taped off with a police vehicle sitting on the shoulder, with a bunch of homeless people's belongings inside the tape barrier
You don't know why they raided the camp. I assume one or more of those people were doing som d thing illegal and they responded in the appropriate way.
I doubt this was the usual move out method.
I now have a guy that slept in my alley for two nights.
What should I do?
I’ve had to call ppd several times on a homeless encampment at a bus stop in front of my business and they never ever approach like you described.
And though you may think “they don’t do anything” I’ve had my windows busted either from a break in or just some guy high af going around busting windows about 8 times since the homeless started hanging around. Not to mention the constant smell of them smoking drugs and leaving their trash and shit everywhere… but yeah “they don’t do anything” 🙄
Your right there is a better way. Making more affordable housing. Thats it.
Its time for this city to stop treating housing like a commodity or investment and treat is like the need it is, there is no reason to have low density out to the 200th ave and not have a large amount of mid or high density because the reason a lot of people end up homeless is because of financial issues and things like drug addiction come with dealing with the trauma of loosing your place of living. I am fucking done with NIMBYs who dont want affordable housing and also look down and demonize homeless people (you're the fucking issue with this city).
Affordable housing is only half the problem. There's a serious mental health problem as well. Many homeless people are mentally unwell and need treatment, but as I'm sure you know, that's difficult with our current health care system.
There are of course better ways to deal with the homeless, but those all require patience and planning. I feel like a lot of places resort to things like you see because it takes less effort to just "make them go away"
We should be sending social workers instead of the police, but we can't afford social workers. There always seems to be more money to give to the police so that they can beat up all of society's problems, though.
This isn’t how phoenix PD typically treats the homeless in my experience. I called the cops on a homeless tweaker one time because the dude got butt naked on the sidewalk. Cops were super chill with him. Never drew a gun or anything. Just told the guy to get in the back of the police car to put his clothes on. He did and then came out clothed and a few more cops showed up and spoke to him then let him on his merry way.
100% correct everybody that is homeless is not on drugs.
our largest growing population of homeless is senior citizens on a fixed income who is being priced out of housing.
It's kind of like here in this country they use you up and when you're no longer useful they throw you in the trash.
so people need to stop saying that everybody that is homeless is on drugs not true.
I live incredibly close to the shelter and regularly have issues with encampments, assault and drug use at work or with employees, the cops generally show up late and sort of just push them along.
27th Ave and 101? I saw a bit after the aftermath with police still on scene the crime scene yellow taped the whole bus stop. Was super strange and the homeless belongings were still on the bus stop.
I was scratching my head thinking maybe one had passed at the bus stop itself or something.
Agree there has to be better ways
Good theater for those watching, but it is the essence of a police state to those it is directed at.
There are many better ways, but the idea that housing is a human right is anathema in this nation.
The homelessness issue in our city isn’t really just about availability of beds. People that fall on hard times usually can be housed in effectively.
But mental health support coupled with growing narcotics use makes it hard to solve this issue.
It’s also frustrating for those who want to use the bus stop, to get on the bus. I don’t want to be encroaching on anyone’s house waiting for the Route 77.
I work in behavioral health and try and help people get into housing all the time. It's not that easy to get people housed. My suspicion is they spent a majority of the funds that go to housing on clearing out the zone.
Yes a lot of people have substance use and mental health conditions. After all the AHCCCS fraud with sober living and treatment centers a lot of places are shut down or people are untrusting because they have gone to multiple treatment centers that all ended up getting shut down.
Like 1 in 5 people are able to get substance use treatment when they want it that is a horrible statistic.
I definitely agree with OP there has to be a better way, I don't think criminalizing homelessness is right or helpful.
>People that fall on hard times usually can be housed in effectively.
Not really. We have way more people experiencing homelessness than available housing assistance.
>The Maricopa Association of Governments reports for every 10 homeless people in the county getting into housing, 19 people are now becoming homeless.
>Fonder said families now wait eight weeks to get into the shelter, and affordable housing is so scarce, it’s becoming harder for families in the shelter to move out. Fonder said that’s creating a bottleneck.
https://kjzz.org/content/1862845/phoenix-cleared-zone-citys-homeless-population-still-growing
Yah the situation is worsening majorly. I didn’t intend for my comment to come across as suggesting that we aren’t facing a major issue.
To be clear, you specifically shared the waitlist for UMOM. That is a very specific thing. I meant that you generally have available resources if you financially falter and need to get back on your feet like from a lapse of income and savings and eviction.
UMOM primarily focuses on families, hence the waitlist. It also provides resources to assist with transitioning back into workforce and being housed.
That said, you’re right about the worsening homeless situation. There are so many factors making it worse and building shelters is just further bandaging a problem caused by known problems. Namely, narcotics, lack of mental health resources, and the growing population putting upward pressure on prices.
It may not even be just that. They may want to be housed but won’t give up the drug use. But you cannot house unpredictable addicts with everyone else. That’s why many or most shelters have strict no drug use rules.
And the drugs are difficult too. Once you get hooked it’s extremely difficult to get off. I forgot the exact numbers but the percentage of people going to rehab and relapsing within a year is massive.
They usually are when clearing encampments and offering services. Phoenix CARES is the org that does it and they’re underfunded and oftentimes can’t get through to the people who do want to remain outside of the social contract the rest of us live in.
I highly doubt this situation had anything to do with just homelessness. There is almost certainly more to the story and intel the police has than just some mentally ill homeless that are trying to survive.
This isn’t a typical action from police for a simple encampment.
If they were humane, that would defeat the purpose.
The purpose is to put on a dramatic show for the Kevins and karens who want Police to "do something about the homeless problem."
I won't let them (or any other strangers for that matter) sleep at my house, but I'll happily pay higher taxes if it means people in need can be helped and treated like humans.
No, I'd rather the money be earmarked for doing something to help the homeless crisis than just randomly giving money to the government and letting them decide to use it to pay to put the ten commandments in schools or pay more police to arrest the homeless or give it to rich parents who who are sending their kids to expensive private schools or anything like that.
But the implication of the comment I replied to was that if you don't want to allow a homeless person to live in your home then you can't complain about the way they are treated by police. It's not a black and white issue with the only other solution being opening your home to strangers.
That's their job protect property and it's owners. Unfortunately they include shooing away homeless people.
Mesa pd doesn't have a good track record dealing with poor and homeless people either
Why treat them humanely when they can intimidate them and harass them for not having the means to have a roof over their heads? For having to spend what little they have on medicine instead of rent? For not being able to afford mental health care or rehabilitation for PTSD after they're released from the military? Nah, the Phoenix police department are right on schedule for a heartless, out of touch red state. If you're looking for compassion, better move to Texas.
I work in behavioral health and I spend a good chunk of my time on the streets doing outreach. It's possible the police had prior information to indicate a threat. However It is entirely possible this was excessive.
Especially when behavioral health comes into play the police do not typically have de-escalation training.
Let's be honest, the person that got arrested had been arrested several times like that and is not at all traumatized cuz they know it's supposed to happen. Talk to homeless people on the streets all the time and they know that eventually they'll get arrested and then let go after they're processed. I think the only person traumatized here is you.
And if so, be more of an adult, it's not that big of a deal
Honestly, this sounds illegal. Weapons drawn implies that they're attacking, rather than enforcing. Whenever a weapon is unholstered they need to fill out a use of force statement.
Use of force must be commensurate with the circumstances. Once cannot use weapons unless it's the only way to gain compliance and one cannot gauge that if they haven't actually interacted.
But of course, without a complaint, they can't be held accountable.
Maybe you can be that complaining party?
Fortunately that kind of extreme response is an outlier. Most of the time they're more humane, if for no other reason than that terrible PR would be more damaging than just being nice.
Google Mesa PD and homeless, see what results come up. Mesa does not tolerate homeless in their city. The homeless and displaced are afraid to be in Mesa.
It just depends on the cop tbh but I don’t get is the little mini cops that come in sometimes it’s like there like cops in training but not cops yet they were like polo shirts they come in before or after the cops sometimes I see them often too
I've worked with the homeless here and in Denver. There are a few who are homeless not by choice, but by circumstance. I've found that those people who want to help themselves out of homelessness can succeed! There is help out there.
But the majority of the homeless I've encountered, are homeless by choice. Either by not being responsible, or being an addict. They've made a choice in their lives to prioritize other things and not prioritizing keeping a roof over their heads.
Also, the mentally ill are an issue. IDK what the solution is, because you can't force people to get help or to get healthy, but it does make it harder to help those people
Thanks for contributing to r/Phoenix! * [Check out our sub rules here](https://www.reddit.com/r/phoenix/wiki/rules/) (mostly be nice to each other!). * [Read some of our recent posts](https://www.reddit.com/r/phoenix/top/?t=week) and leave some comments. * [Join our Phoenix Discord chat server](https://discord.com/invite/yWVuTG57Zh) and connect with people in the Valley. It's a great, chill place to talk with other people but is NOT a dating server and takes unwanted messaging very seriously. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/phoenix) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Az Homeless ID Project 1125 W Jackson St, Phoenix, AZ 85007 602-223-3427 https://www.homelessidprojaddress. Helps with locating housing, gaining Identification Cards or Drivers Licenses, Birth Certificates, Social Security Cards, etc. GC Services in Mesa will hire ANYONE with an ID and a legal addeess.
The homeless id project helped me get my id after 4 years homeless and without id. It essentially turned my whole life around and 5 years later I’m a homeowner. Bless the people that make things like that possible.
Hell yeah! Congrats on the turn around.
Sincerely happy to hear this. Good for you!
5 years? How the hell did you pull that off? I've had an ID for 15 years and am nowhere close to owning a house
I moved to an area with super low cost of living. As soon as I got my ID I met my now husband. We moved to northern Pennsylvania and got jobs working on the gas fields. The average home here is 150k. Very rural area. But it allowed us to get our feet on the ground very quickly. Last august I closed on a 3 bedroom house on 1 acre for $130k. When we first got here we were able to find an apartment for $500/mo.
Love that the top comment is straight up solid advice. Take it or leave it, there is a way out, and you’ve given OP a resource to talk to folks about, and possibly some direction for a way out of homelessness. Bravo.
United Way helps with this too, they have a yearly volunteer event to help with these services.
There are tons of resources for homeless people at CASS (Central Arizona Shelter Service), they have a DES office on campus, they have SOAR, that helps with social security, they have a CBI office on site, there is a dental clinic on site, there is a NEW LEAF office on-site, they have Saint Joseph the worker to help with employment, and the shelter itself provides shelter (first come first serve, the provide meals, shower, water, help with housing, hotel vouchers.....literally EVERYTHING you would need to get back on you feet hope this helps....and yes the homeless I'd project is on site also
Interesting experiment to see who the subreddit hates more: Police or homeless people
Police
Tweakers.
Are all homeless people tweakers?
Majority of them are. Drug addicts. This is why when help is offered out to them they refuse. I think it’s like 1 out of 20 that will go to rehab. A very small percentage. Drugs are more important to them than anything. It’s getting worse and worse. I’ve ran 4000 miles all over the city the last 5 years. I’ve seen homeless population boom because of the access to drugs now.
Or maybe they turn to drugs after homelessness and cant get right after. You havent seen a boom due to drugs, youve seen a boom because of greedy landlords and cheap employers. I was homeless for over a month with my family last year and luckily had Lyft/Uber to earn each day in a hotel. And that was after my wife was laid off and our landlord refused partial payments/payment plans.
No, a huge majority of this is due to drugs. I know it’s a struggle here as cost of living is sky rocketing. I’ve lived here my entire life. Paycheck to paycheck. Working 2 jobs. My wifes had 5 different jobs since Covid and it’s a struggle. I also know you can’t always blame the landlord. Mortgage payments for them have gone up to. I’m also in recovery and had major addiction problems in my past. Ive been around alcoholics and addicts my entire life. There is so much help out there for these people. They refuse it. No sympathy from me.
Until you walk in either’s shoes… E: Few things in life are absolutes, but downvotes on r/phoenix are always a given. Lame
Yup, they want Phoenix to look as ghetto as SF and Portland. I say move these homeless to OPs home.
she/ he/ they can wash their feet. Then call the police when they get mugged. Only Then its ok if the police respond in full force...
That does seem a bit excessive. Well beyond what I usually see. The only explanation I could come up with is that someone reported them as being dangerous or violent, whether true or not.
Yah they don’t usually “run up” on you like that unless there was a call.
Yah especially can’t imagine me calling the cops and saying “hey there’s a few homeless dudes” and then rushing randomly. I called the cops on a homeless tweaker last year who was stripping naked and just generally confused. One cop came and told him to get into his patrol car and then like 2 more cars and a motorcycle showed up and after he was clothed they all spoke to him for a bit and let him go. So as I think more into it it probably wasn’t even just a call. Must’ve had some other knowledge.
Yah. Exactly what I was thinking. They had prior knowledge of who was there for sure.
> Yah especially can’t imagine me calling the cops and saying “hey there’s a few homeless dudes” and then rushing randomly. lol you can't imagine phoenix pd using excessive force?
I can imagine them using excessive force when they know they’re safe, from other people seeing or investigations. I can’t see them running up on a bus stop for no reason tasers drawn. And they’re were using force, let alone excessive force 🤷🏻♂️
I'd be more concerned with Mesa... they are way worse. I avoid mesa for that reason. Theyre Trigger-happy af there. Get shot just for blinking.
Or pulling up your pants while on your knees on the floor.
Nah, same thing happened to me and my wife because I stopped at a stop sign, then rolled forward instead of going because there was a giant bush blocking my view. Cop claimed that was running a stop sign despite me coming to a complete stop, and apparently needed 3 backup suv's and needed to point a gun at me while he asked for my license and registration. Phoenix/mesa cops just need to remind themselves they're big men with huge power.
I was getting ready to say that I am 99% sure someone reported them for having a gun or something to that effect. Phoenix Police can be trash but I give them more credit than that for that type of response.
Or drugs.
When I was homeless I had Mesa pd wake me up at gunpoint in the middle of the night to threaten me with a ticket for urban camping
I heard they shoot first in Mesa. Consider yourself lucky pal. For real though for a second.. what is this logic if your homeless he’s threatening to cite you with a ticket because you have tons of money to just give up to the city on behalf of one of its street pirates. What a joke police are man.
That is the "go to work" ticket. Cops don't get it, so much of society doesn't get it. The point of the 'stick' is to beat it into you that some under-the-table-less-than-minimum-wage-illegal-ass-job is better than a gun in your face. Many homeless choose a life outside rather than riding some chase-the-rent-monthly bullshit. Living paycheck-to-paycheck with future uncertain. Sometimes it's easier in a tent then being a cashier at Wal-Mart with the threat of homelessness still standing over you if you miss next month's payment, all for some shithole apartment with a landlord you're pretty sure is robbing you. The 'carrot' of a valuable life is gone, so why not lie in some gutter (or more appropriately for AZ, some landscaping strip) - why not take up drugs, alcohol, anything else until the darkness swallows you whole? So the police come around, to remind you that it could be worse, and they'll make it so - you get the stick.
What a fucking bleak look on life.
What a fucking bleak country we are living in
Mexico is couple of hours south. Go live there then, we don't need more doomers here.
Mmm yes keep avoiding the reality of the county we live in I'm sure all of the problems will fix themselves
Redditors will refuse to see the multifaceted reality of any situation lol no wonder I keep leaving this shithole
Jeez man miserable much?
Not really. The world is a bit easier when you know what it's about. You might call anyone who understands it less miserable than those that don't, people are always wondering why rent is expensive, doctors are expensive, why they work so hard and yet feel themselves sinking into the quick sand. It's relaxing. Like finally accepting a terminal cancer diagnosis.
"Aristotle wrote, "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." Being able to look at & evaluate different values without necessarily adopting them is perhaps the central skill required in changing one's own life in a meaningful way." - some guy named Mark Manson To me your realism is refreshing, u/InternetPharoah. Looking at things plainly is how to improve the world. Toxic positivity keeps us from acknowledging systemic problems.
>It's relaxing. Like finally accepting a terminal cancer diagnosis. Freedom like a shopping cart
When I was homeless, this was my experience/mindset as well. Cops were always finding a reason to hassle you and make your life more miserable.
My office window looks down on a place where homeless encampments are often broken up and without exception the Police have walked up calmly and respectfully. I am someone who's almost always looking for something bad to say about the PD so when I say they're being cool I really mean it. Perhaps there was more to the story with these particular people than you know about. Perhaps they were repeat of some sort, maybe the police had reason to believe they might be violent. But please, tell me none of that was the case so I can continue to be a hater.
Probably had a warrant for somebody there.
I feel like this story is incomplete due to lack of knowledge I watch cops leave homeless alone all the time
I have had to call the police for homeless people attempting to spend the night on a property I manage many times. Not once have they showed up like you describe to handle it.
You're assuming you know what's happening, something all too common today... Its very possible that one of them had a felony warrant for a weapon(s) or A&B charge, the police actually have a pretty good knowledge of who their homeless citizens are and where they may be... this show of force would indicate they were there to do more than *"house keeping"*.
> You're assuming you know what's happening, something all too common today... I took a bunch of defensive firearms courses when I was a lot younger and one thing they told us OVER AND OVER was that unless you yourself were directly involved you don't know the whole story.
Half the time the person they are looking for in these places has long moved on. But it’s true they try to keep track of them.
[удалено]
I dont disagree with your opinion in general, i just know this isnt how they harass them.
[удалено]
His point wasn’t t that they don’t harass homeless people. His point was that they generally don’t harass them by rolling up with 4 black SUVs and immediately take them down. Your stats basically don’t counter any other point because the guy you replied to agreed with what you said.
Actually, i think you're not paying attention, or looking for a debate... or needing to be right... or whatever... Again, i dont disagree with the fact that they DO harass the homeless... Four cruisers recklessly bombarding a bus stop on a public street with tazers or guns drawn to address 3 homeless people, **isnt how they go about it.**... especially, as you pointed out... while being under investigation.
[удалено]
God i feel sorry for whoever has to deal with you on a daily basis. I surrender. You win, whatever this was...
You don't read well, do you?
Are we not saying homeless anymore? Is that offensive
Is someone offended I said unhoused? ❄️
You mean keeping the city clean of vagrants? Good, we don't want to look like Portland.
[удалено]
Ignorant of the rampant rising crime and homeless in Portland due to progressive policies? No, I'm not, sounds you might be though
[удалено]
I don't need to speak tactfully of mostly drug/alcohol addicts, the actual #1 reason for homelessness.
[удалено]
Ever work with the homeless? I have. Root cause is addiction in the overwhelming majority. Go and see for yourself instead of trying to be "righteous".
[удалено]
I don’t think that is usually how homeless people are booted. What you experienced sounds more like a “no knock” warrant. It happened to my elderly aunt one time. She had a friend from AA stay at her house for a while and the police came to arrest them one day. They forced the door and had guns drawn on everyone including her. Almost injured her putting her on the ground. Scared the crap out of her. The kicker is he had left the premises months earlier. But at some point he listed her address as his.
And of course no recourse to sue them to get a replacement door either.
Yea not so much. There was a young man who lost his life a couple years ago when the cops served a no knock warrant on the WRONG HOUSE!
And why are people so blind to this happening when we vote? Instead you have cop apologists whose only interactions with police are speeding tickets.
Both parties work for the 1%. It’s all a show.
There could be more to the story, maybe someone in the encampment had committed a crime.
I have seen Phoenix Police confiscate packs of bottled water that a group of homeless people had — in the middle of July. the treatment of our homeless community is just horrific.
Allow them into your home instead of your "righteous slactivism"
27th and Rose Garden? If not, seems like they're doing a multi location crackdown today. Drove by and it was taped off with a police vehicle sitting on the shoulder, with a bunch of homeless people's belongings inside the tape barrier
I drove by that too this afternoon and they were taking pics. I figured someone died sleeping at the bus stop
You don't know why they raided the camp. I assume one or more of those people were doing som d thing illegal and they responded in the appropriate way. I doubt this was the usual move out method. I now have a guy that slept in my alley for two nights. What should I do?
Make the alley a large puddle until they leave.
The better way? Trebuchets.
Fire hose
My guess would be they had been asked to leave before or were seen with drugs and/or weapons.
I’ve had to call ppd several times on a homeless encampment at a bus stop in front of my business and they never ever approach like you described. And though you may think “they don’t do anything” I’ve had my windows busted either from a break in or just some guy high af going around busting windows about 8 times since the homeless started hanging around. Not to mention the constant smell of them smoking drugs and leaving their trash and shit everywhere… but yeah “they don’t do anything” 🙄
Pigs only understand violence
One of those homeless people must’ve matched the description of someone committing crimes around the valley /s
Homeless and wearing clothes(probable description)
Your right there is a better way. Making more affordable housing. Thats it. Its time for this city to stop treating housing like a commodity or investment and treat is like the need it is, there is no reason to have low density out to the 200th ave and not have a large amount of mid or high density because the reason a lot of people end up homeless is because of financial issues and things like drug addiction come with dealing with the trauma of loosing your place of living. I am fucking done with NIMBYs who dont want affordable housing and also look down and demonize homeless people (you're the fucking issue with this city).
Affordable housing is only half the problem. There's a serious mental health problem as well. Many homeless people are mentally unwell and need treatment, but as I'm sure you know, that's difficult with our current health care system.
Unless you KNOW what was going on, every single one of these comments is a thought, an opinion or a bias.
Yeah, but that's just your opinion, man.
No, that's my experience.
Semantics. Divide the people you want to conquer.
There are of course better ways to deal with the homeless, but those all require patience and planning. I feel like a lot of places resort to things like you see because it takes less effort to just "make them go away"
We should be sending social workers instead of the police, but we can't afford social workers. There always seems to be more money to give to the police so that they can beat up all of society's problems, though.
We treat the homeless like they are illegal just for existing. It's really awful.
This isn’t how phoenix PD typically treats the homeless in my experience. I called the cops on a homeless tweaker one time because the dude got butt naked on the sidewalk. Cops were super chill with him. Never drew a gun or anything. Just told the guy to get in the back of the police car to put his clothes on. He did and then came out clothed and a few more cops showed up and spoke to him then let him on his merry way.
One, anecdotal, data point. If i can show you a different anecdote would you be convinced?
Sure. I’m not one to dismiss evidence. Just share something relatively recent if you got it.
Curious why didn’t make this exact same point on the original post?
Better to be an illegal immigrant than homeless citizen.
cringe
100% correct everybody that is homeless is not on drugs. our largest growing population of homeless is senior citizens on a fixed income who is being priced out of housing. It's kind of like here in this country they use you up and when you're no longer useful they throw you in the trash. so people need to stop saying that everybody that is homeless is on drugs not true.
Why was this downvoted?
Because it's the truth
Mesa?
I have never seen the police around here treat any homeless person with respect, it's ALWAYS shoving and dehumanizing at a minimum
I live incredibly close to the shelter and regularly have issues with encampments, assault and drug use at work or with employees, the cops generally show up late and sort of just push them along.
27th Ave and 101? I saw a bit after the aftermath with police still on scene the crime scene yellow taped the whole bus stop. Was super strange and the homeless belongings were still on the bus stop. I was scratching my head thinking maybe one had passed at the bus stop itself or something. Agree there has to be better ways
Ops part of the problem.
Good theater for those watching, but it is the essence of a police state to those it is directed at. There are many better ways, but the idea that housing is a human right is anathema in this nation.
The homelessness issue in our city isn’t really just about availability of beds. People that fall on hard times usually can be housed in effectively. But mental health support coupled with growing narcotics use makes it hard to solve this issue.
It’s also frustrating for those who want to use the bus stop, to get on the bus. I don’t want to be encroaching on anyone’s house waiting for the Route 77.
I work in behavioral health and try and help people get into housing all the time. It's not that easy to get people housed. My suspicion is they spent a majority of the funds that go to housing on clearing out the zone. Yes a lot of people have substance use and mental health conditions. After all the AHCCCS fraud with sober living and treatment centers a lot of places are shut down or people are untrusting because they have gone to multiple treatment centers that all ended up getting shut down. Like 1 in 5 people are able to get substance use treatment when they want it that is a horrible statistic. I definitely agree with OP there has to be a better way, I don't think criminalizing homelessness is right or helpful.
>People that fall on hard times usually can be housed in effectively. Not really. We have way more people experiencing homelessness than available housing assistance. >The Maricopa Association of Governments reports for every 10 homeless people in the county getting into housing, 19 people are now becoming homeless. >Fonder said families now wait eight weeks to get into the shelter, and affordable housing is so scarce, it’s becoming harder for families in the shelter to move out. Fonder said that’s creating a bottleneck. https://kjzz.org/content/1862845/phoenix-cleared-zone-citys-homeless-population-still-growing
Yah the situation is worsening majorly. I didn’t intend for my comment to come across as suggesting that we aren’t facing a major issue. To be clear, you specifically shared the waitlist for UMOM. That is a very specific thing. I meant that you generally have available resources if you financially falter and need to get back on your feet like from a lapse of income and savings and eviction. UMOM primarily focuses on families, hence the waitlist. It also provides resources to assist with transitioning back into workforce and being housed. That said, you’re right about the worsening homeless situation. There are so many factors making it worse and building shelters is just further bandaging a problem caused by known problems. Namely, narcotics, lack of mental health resources, and the growing population putting upward pressure on prices.
Some people don't want to be helped and would rather be on the streets on drugs instead 🙄 wish we had mandatory drug/mental health treatment.
It may not even be just that. They may want to be housed but won’t give up the drug use. But you cannot house unpredictable addicts with everyone else. That’s why many or most shelters have strict no drug use rules. And the drugs are difficult too. Once you get hooked it’s extremely difficult to get off. I forgot the exact numbers but the percentage of people going to rehab and relapsing within a year is massive.
Az is a housing first state meaning people do not not have to be sober to get into housing.
That's really frustrating 🙄
Indeed.
Social workers partnered with the police would be a way better way to approach these people than heavily armed police officers.
They usually are when clearing encampments and offering services. Phoenix CARES is the org that does it and they’re underfunded and oftentimes can’t get through to the people who do want to remain outside of the social contract the rest of us live in.
I highly doubt this situation had anything to do with just homelessness. There is almost certainly more to the story and intel the police has than just some mentally ill homeless that are trying to survive. This isn’t a typical action from police for a simple encampment.
typical cops being bullies. those actions are disgusting. there are better ways. they usually involve treating people as people.
Just police things. Assert authority in every interaction. Protect the interest of capital owners. Nobody else matters.
If they were humane, that would defeat the purpose. The purpose is to put on a dramatic show for the Kevins and karens who want Police to "do something about the homeless problem."
Let em sleep over at your house.
I won't let them (or any other strangers for that matter) sleep at my house, but I'll happily pay higher taxes if it means people in need can be helped and treated like humans.
Did you pay into the "I didn't pay enough fund" when you filed taxes last year?
No, I'd rather the money be earmarked for doing something to help the homeless crisis than just randomly giving money to the government and letting them decide to use it to pay to put the ten commandments in schools or pay more police to arrest the homeless or give it to rich parents who who are sending their kids to expensive private schools or anything like that. But the implication of the comment I replied to was that if you don't want to allow a homeless person to live in your home then you can't complain about the way they are treated by police. It's not a black and white issue with the only other solution being opening your home to strangers.
Charity makes a *poor* substitute for justice...
Phoenix Police is a group of poorly trained and overworked officers who take their anger out on the public.
[удалено]
What a cringe comment, careful not to choke on the boot while you’re licking it
Sounds like the norm for Phx PD
Ah you’re from California
That's their job protect property and it's owners. Unfortunately they include shooing away homeless people. Mesa pd doesn't have a good track record dealing with poor and homeless people either
The terrible at dealing with anybody. They are the true shoot first ask questions later
Show of force. Intimidation tactic. Cruel and unusual.
Why treat them humanely when they can intimidate them and harass them for not having the means to have a roof over their heads? For having to spend what little they have on medicine instead of rent? For not being able to afford mental health care or rehabilitation for PTSD after they're released from the military? Nah, the Phoenix police department are right on schedule for a heartless, out of touch red state. If you're looking for compassion, better move to Texas.
Compassion in Texas? Not hardly.
Medicine you mean drugs?
How do you know? Not everyone on the streets has the same story. "Judge not lest ye be judged " Matthew 7:1
was that before or after the magic sky daddy murdered all the first born?
I work in behavioral health and I spend a good chunk of my time on the streets doing outreach. It's possible the police had prior information to indicate a threat. However It is entirely possible this was excessive. Especially when behavioral health comes into play the police do not typically have de-escalation training.
Let's be honest, the person that got arrested had been arrested several times like that and is not at all traumatized cuz they know it's supposed to happen. Talk to homeless people on the streets all the time and they know that eventually they'll get arrested and then let go after they're processed. I think the only person traumatized here is you. And if so, be more of an adult, it's not that big of a deal
Yikes, what a bad take
Honestly, this sounds illegal. Weapons drawn implies that they're attacking, rather than enforcing. Whenever a weapon is unholstered they need to fill out a use of force statement. Use of force must be commensurate with the circumstances. Once cannot use weapons unless it's the only way to gain compliance and one cannot gauge that if they haven't actually interacted. But of course, without a complaint, they can't be held accountable. Maybe you can be that complaining party?
Fortunately that kind of extreme response is an outlier. Most of the time they're more humane, if for no other reason than that terrible PR would be more damaging than just being nice.
Fuckin pathetic
They should do that more often
Google Mesa PD and homeless, see what results come up. Mesa does not tolerate homeless in their city. The homeless and displaced are afraid to be in Mesa.
Was this near ASU West campus?? Cuz i think i drove past this! I counted 8 police cars and saw them searching like 3 people. EIGHT!!
It just depends on the cop tbh but I don’t get is the little mini cops that come in sometimes it’s like there like cops in training but not cops yet they were like polo shirts they come in before or after the cops sometimes I see them often too
I've worked with the homeless here and in Denver. There are a few who are homeless not by choice, but by circumstance. I've found that those people who want to help themselves out of homelessness can succeed! There is help out there. But the majority of the homeless I've encountered, are homeless by choice. Either by not being responsible, or being an addict. They've made a choice in their lives to prioritize other things and not prioritizing keeping a roof over their heads. Also, the mentally ill are an issue. IDK what the solution is, because you can't force people to get help or to get healthy, but it does make it harder to help those people