NOTE FROM NORSE:  Santa Cruz’s Police Chief Kevin Vogel strode around with four stars on his uniform in full regalia at the “Smart Solutions” Homelessness Summit Saturday,   When not dolled up, he presided over six months of intensified crackdown on homeless people’s camps, property, and liberty–in a city that has shelter for less than 5% of its homeless, as well as making 200 people homeless on December 8th last year with a full-scale attack on a homeless campground, for which he offered no substitute.

He has colluded in creating felony prosecutions for homeless activists, reporters, and supporters of the Occupy Santa Cruz movement–some of  whom dared with hundreds of others to walk through a vacant Wells Fargo bank building which was being temporarily occupied to create a Community Center last year.

Also at the “Homeless Summit” was D.A. Bob Lee who has pressed charges against the Santa Cruz Eleven for “aiding and abetting” the occupation there–they face 7 years in prison each (charges against 4 have been dismissed and not yet refiled).

The Santa Cruz ACLU, while criticizing (rather weakly) the SC-11 prosecutions, has said not a word about the crackdown on homeless people, the creation of curfew zones around the courthouse, county building, city hall, library, and police station, the attacks on food server and street performers, and the city wide Sleeping Ban.

Even activist Steve Pleich, who founded (and largely constitutes) the Homeless Legal Assistance Project and sits as vice-chair of the ACLU has not chosen to raise these issues, brought to the ACLU Board of Directors repeatedly by myself and others.

Other ACLU’s in California have undertaken lawsuits against these practices.  Santa Cruz can’t even get its ACLU to make a simple verbal statement.

Sarasota, Florida-  The ACLU claims the City of Sarasota is at war with the homeless. ACLU attorney Michael Barfield claims there is a culture of contempt and abuse of Sarasota’s homeless by the police department.

According to attorneys, arrests of homeless individuals sleeping outside are up to 111 between January and September compared to just four last year.

Barfield says, “We ask appointed and elected city leaders to end the city’s war on the homeless.”

From the front lawn of Sarasota City Hall, ACLU representatives say there is a pattern- a culture of harassment of the homeless within the Sarasota Police Department.

“Internal police text messages reveal a practice of targeting the homeless. Some refer to it as ‘bum hunting,” says Barfield.

The ACLU released electronic messages from August where a police officer allegedly text another officer, “I’m the Bum Hunter tonight.”

In September one officer appears to ask another “Can you check Island Park for transients? Cite them city code if found.”

Transcripts also show an officer joking about dressing up like a “bum” with wig and a bottle of rum.

Captain Paul Sutton with the Sarasota Police Department says he had not heard about these texts until today’s press conference.

“It is unacceptable behavior. I can tell you the Sarasota Police Department does not hunt homeless people, in fact we do the opposite. We provide services to homeless people.”

Police officials say since 2004 they’ve helped more than 2,500 homeless- either as crime victims or with provided services for drug abuse, mental health or housing.

City Manager Tom Barwin says these are isolated comments that are being exploited by the ACLU.  Barwin adds the ACLU never notified city officials of the press conference until 10 minutes before it started.

“To set the record straight, for those who don’t know this community raised millions of dollars, 10 million to address homeless needs,” says Barwin.

He listed the Salvation Army where the homeless can get a meal, a place to sleep, a shower and receive substance abuse treatment as an example. He also lists the Resurrection Home that provides laundry and meals.

A few homeless attended the press conference with their own suggestions.

“Why call me a bum unless you try to give me a job,” says James Franklin, Jr.

Cindy Edlund would like to see more services targeting substance abuse. She says, “Let’s work on prevention; there’s been a stalemate.”

Sarasota’s city manager challenges the ACLU to raise half a million dollars to help with the homeless substance abuse problem and come to the table with solutions instead of more litigation.

The ACLU is in the middle of a class action suit against the City for their alleged use of its trespassing ordinance to single out the homeless.

Isabel Mascarenas

HEAR MORE AT http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/article/284302/8/Sarasotas-ACLU-claims-police-target-homeless-