SHOULD CITIES have the power to clear homeless encampments? The Supreme Court stays so.
Cities all across our West Orange County and – and probably – all across California are busy composing anti-camping ordinances aimed at clearing clusters of homeless people creating impromptu settlements on public land.
In the case of Grants Pass vs. Johnson, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling that decided that bans on overnight camping in parks, etc. did not constitute “cruel and unusual punishment” as intended by the U.S. Constitition.
Tender hearts (and there’s nothing wrong with that) have taken the position that many of those in that situation in life are abjectly poor, or addicted to substances or have severe mental and/or emotional problems and therefore are at their last resort in plunking down on the civic turf.
However, when offered services – as with the recently opened Central Cities Navigation Center, operated by the cities of Garden Grove, Fountain Valley and Westminster – the vast majority of those contacted by police and social service workers have refused help.
Why? Because, as you might imagine, moving into temporary transitioning housing means following the rules – no smoking, drinking alcohol, stealing, using drugs, fighting, etc. – which boil down to “staying clean and sober.”
A great number of those either can’t or don’t want to do that. As hard as their lives are, they evidently find it harder to develop the kind of self-control necessary to function.
The problem is not just with the homeless. Many – too many – property owners – neglect buildings and leave them derelict and a haven for criminal activity. They consider hiring security a waste of money that could otherwise be devoted to bigger profits. There’s one very large retailer I’m thinking of that allowed its parking lots to be practically overrun with vagrants before finally awakening to the necessity of protecting customers and employees.
I am hugely in favor of spending whatever it takes to provide for people who are rendered homeless through no fault of their own, especially where children are concerned.
But enough is enough. Reasonable restrictions with appropriate punishments are appropriate and necessary. Strict enforcement and tough sanctions have dramatically reduced deaths from drunk driving.
It’s time for “tough love” to take its place in society, even for those of us with tender hearts.
