The Right to Disrespect Abusers in Power: A Reminder

I wrote this letter this morning after Vice-Mayor Cynthia Chase attempted to stop me from speaking with my back to the Council during Oral Communications yesterday afternoon. It wasn’t clear to me that she was taking action to arrest me, but seemed like she was threatening to do so. It has to emphasized again that a violation of Council rules, unless it disrupts the meeting, is not a disruption, however much a presiding officer wants to paint it as one. The interruption and threat to the speaker is the disruption. Showing disrespect is not a crime and often a duty.

At issue was the SCPD slaying of Sean Arlt Sunday before last (https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/10/21/18792527.php ) and their refusal to hand over audio and video as well as the Council’s refusal to take any action.  Mayor Cynthia Mathews reduced time for each speaker to one minute instead of extending Oral Communications time.   I requested Councilmember Micah Posner by phone before hand to move to extend the time, but he remained silent when Mathews asked if any Councilmembers had objection to her “one minutes and then shut up” ruling.

Cynthia Chase, Vice-Mayor
309 Center St.
Santa Cruz, CA

Cynthia:

Council’s failure to either agenda-ize or allow at least a three minutes per speaker Oral Communications time last night (and a 5 minute period for groups as has been traditional) provoked a lot of justified anger in the community.

Council has failed to recognize, much less reign in a long out-of-control police department with a lethal use of force policy, a perpetual lack of transparency, and a history of class profiling. This means many have lost their faith that the Council will provide even the semblance of a discussion, much less action, on these issues facing communities confronting abusive behavior by police departments across the country.

I think other speakers (and common sense) has made it clear. Leaving everything to the same department (and its D.A. friends) who OKs 4 armed and armored police shooting a guy “brandishing” a rake 4 times in 20 seconds appears like a corrupt rubberstamping of an out-of-control police department.

Refusing to demand the department show its video/audio to the community seems further evidence of this. And the final straw, of course, is failing to protect the community by requiring Vogel either discipline his officers or be fired.

I’m writing you regarding your attempt to persuade me to face the Council when speaking. I actually wasn’t aware it was you speaking (though I should have been), incidentally. My comments were not intended to be personally insulting, but to attempt to finish my (1 minute only!) public testimony without interruption.

Without intention to insult you, I’d add that this wouldn’t have made any difference. As I’ve told the Council in the past, this is my right and the right of any member of the public which the Council is required to respect (though it seldom does). As the 9th Circuit Court has ruled in an early City Council attempt to arrest me and later avoid responsibility for a civil rights violation–violating a Mayor or a Council’s “rule of procedure” is not a disruption. On the other hand, repeatedly interrupting a speaker at the microphone during Oral Communications so as to materially interfere with their right to speak is.

It was those who repeatedly interrupted my attempt to speak that were creating the disruption. A disruption is something that materially impedes the progress of the meeting. I would go so far to say as shout from the audience while viewed as “disrespectful” are a part of the democratic process–which is often not polite and friendly.

I thought this whole matter was made clear to the Council in the lawsuit that cost the City $200,000 in the mock-Nazi salute case of 2002–which you may be familiar with. Mayors Lane and Mathews have thought better of trying to stifle an obviously First Amendment-protected activity at the microphone during a public comment period.

This is likely to happen again, depending on the behavior of the Council. It’s up to the speaker at the mike, not to the Council or the Council’s presiding officer, how a person makes their commentary. If they choose too be disrespectful, that’s something the no member of the Council has any business moving to repress with force or threats of force.

I’ve had little contact with you other than the brief friendly chat we had when I interviewed you last month outside City Council for Free Radio Santa Cruz. I don’t have much faith in your interest in restoring basic rights to the broader community or the homeless community–based on your track record. But I found you amiable and approachable.

Hence I’m writing to you to explain that my back-to-the-Council presentation was not intended as a personal insult to you. My raised voice was intended to make what I was saying audible because, indeed, as you pointed out, I was turned away from the microphone.

I was addressing my views to the community because the Council clearly intended to do nothing about the Arlt slaying other than leave it in the hands of the agencies who committed what appears to be a rather lethal crime. I encourage you not to take gestures of disrespect to the Council personally, but to regard them as a necessary (if unpleasant for you) part of the cost of being a public official facing an justifiably outraged citizenry.

I would be happy to discuss this matter more fully with you if you wish. I think it’s important for you to understand some of the history here as you are likely to be the next Mayor.

I can appreciate your wanting me to behave in a certain fashion and your asking me to do so. Repeatedly interrupting me so as to interfere with my speaking time, however, is another matter. Obviously, even more seriously, I cannot and will not accept the use of armed force to attempt to suppress free speech at the public microphone during public comment period. Please assure me that you will not do this again and will intervene on behalf of speakers there if other members of the Council attempt to do so.

Feel free to call me if you wish to discuss these matters more fully.

Robert
(423-4833)

HUFF trots about with another 11 AM meeting at the Sub Rosa tomorrow (10-26) at 703 Pacific next to the Bike Church

After a City Council meeting of the spiritually exhausted talking to the morally dysfunctional about the need to do the obvious in the Sean Alrt murder:  release the audio and videl, fire the officers involved, dump the police chief and city manager if necessary, and make other fundamental changes in the SCPD, HUFF will consider its low-intensity but persistent protests against SCPD arrogance, stonewalling, and lack of accountability.  Also on the agenda: the Santa Barbara RV struggle, pushing back against Parks and Recreation “no loitering” repression, reports of a cops breaking one homeless man’s arm, and other incidentals.  All with coffee.  Free.

As Anger at the SCPD Rises, Freedom Sleepers Bed Down for Sidewalk Sleepout #68

Date Tuesday October 25

Time 2:30 PM Today- 9 AM Tomorrow

Location Details On the sidewalk outside the last pre-election City Council meeting in the wake of the SCPD’s Sean Arlt slaying, housed and unhoused folks are gathering again. The continuing target: the City’s anti-homeless 11 PM to 8:30 AM Sleeping Ban as a shelterless police-heavy winter looms. The safe-but-not-legal-sidewalk slumber event begins on Tuesday afternoon and goes through Wednesday morning.

Event Type Protest

Organizer/Author Keith McHenry (story by Norse)

Email keith [at] foodnotbombs.net

Phone 575-770–3377

 

While folks chow down, chatter, and prepare to bed down, the afternoon Santa Cruz City Council meeting has absolutely nothing on its agenda indicating any awareness of or concern for with the upcoming winter ordeal for unhoused folks.

And nothing on what some are calling the SCPD murder and cover-up of Sean Smith-Arlt Sunday before last when he was gunned down facing four police officers within 20 seconds for wielding a metal rake. Video and audio footage is still not being provided, nor the names of the killer(s).

Activists led by Abbi Samuels and Sherri Conable have called for a mass presence at 4 PM in front of City Hall to be followed by a public speak-out at 5 PM Oral Communications. Some have suggested that the real Speak-Out be outside when Mayor Mathews imposes her “two-minute” speaker limitation (within a total of half hour “allowed”). Repetitive staff presentations on agenda items may take up far more than half an hour.

QUESTIONS OUTSTANDING
Beyond who shot Arlt and where’s the video/audio, some activists have demanded restoration of a stronger Citizens Police Review Board process, the prior one dismantled by Mathews and others when they were on the Council in 2003. Unfortunately government run CPRB’s have been severely limited by the Officer’s “Bill of Rights” and the Copley court decision of 2006 shielding the militarized police departments of the state from public exposure. (See http://www.theinvestigativefund.org/investigations/1293/copley_v._account-ability/ ).

This has led one activist to suggest that private agencies need to take the lead in any “independent investigations” of police brutality and murder. More broadly, will the militarization of the Santa Cruz police continue to be fueled by acceptance of state and federal grants? Will the City Council keep up its refusal to require police accountability? Its current token review subcommittee is the Public Safety Committee, and its overseer–the $40,000-a-year no-info-to-the-public attorney Bob Aaronson.

A listing of this year’s fatal police shootings nationwide can be found at http://anthemrevolt.com/ . One activist has pointed out that police shootings nationally are usually 1 out of 17 of all fatal shootings. In Santa Cruz, it’s 1 out of 5 this year.


DISTURBING HOMELESS REPORTS
Meanwhile one homeless man reported his arm broken by SCPD in the midst of an arrest; another woman is going to court tomorrow to fight a year old “Resisting Arrest” charge; friends of a third fear she faces loss of her service dog as part of the “Homeless Mistreat Dogs” movement that seems to have become more overt in the past few months. More on this at the HUFF (Homeless United for Friendship & Freedom) meeting on Wednesday October 26 11 AM Sub Rosa Cafe).

SILENCE ON LOCAL SURVEILLANCE
Both the SCPD and the ACLU seem to have had little to say about surveillance devices funded by government money in Santa Cruz that look out and video record public places. A Public Records Act request for a listing of these places was initially met with the ridiculous claim that no such records exist. A second request was met with delay until mid-November–well after last night’s ACLU Surveillance Forum.

This forum, of course, reportedly had little mention of the current police surveillance–how extensive it was, how long the records are retained, whether the public has access to them. Nor has the local ACLU shown any concern about this issue (nor about homeless issues generally unless pushed to the wall by unhoused folks and activists).

OUTSTANDING QUESTIONS
Where are the SCPD audio and video tapes? What will folks do to demand their return?

How about a video-in at the police station with person after person walking up to request they be made public?
(A sign in the police lobby bans video or audio recording, something also posted in other city offices. But since there is no expectation of privacy in public places and since these so-called “public servants” are supposed to be accountable to the public, this is a complete (if often effective) bluff.

Will the public move beyond a ceremonial mourning session at the Town Clock on Sunday and a polite “stand-in-line-and-then-go-home” protest at City Council today at 5 PM?

What next public pressuring event is planned by those outraged by this latest killing (and the SCPD’s shoot-to-kill training and practice)? Or will the good liberals all trek home after a token showing today as they did when the BeatCat was slipped by the public?

HUFF will be grumbling about this issue over coffee tomorrow, as mentioned above.

This is the last Council meeting before the November 8th vote deadline when voters will decide whether to return Mayor Mathews and her slate of police apologists to office.

More Notes on Tonight’s Anti-Police Brutality Day Protest and Remembrance of the Sean Arlt Slaying at 6:30 PM Tonight 10-22 at the Town Clock

I encourage folks to focus on the institutionalized police abuse in Santa Cruz that extends far beyond the killing of Sean Arlt.   As Black Lives Matter has been demanding, October 22nd is a national day of seeking an end to the violence and injustice which is endemic in police departments across the country–including the Santa Cruz Police Department.

Campaign Zero, initiated by the police murders of Michael Brown and Oscar Grant, proposes reforms that should be taken up by activists. See http://www.joincampaignzero.org/#vision .

HUFF has tried to get a record of police citations for sleeping, laying out bedding, and being in a park after dark (all survival behaviors in a town with shelter for less than 5% of those outside). As well as a record of how many of such cruel, costly, and unconstitutional citations are taken to court. We have been stonewalled by the SCPD and by its enablers in the City Attorney’s office.

Some have suggested that it would be “disrespectful” to those mourning Sean Arlt to spotlight general Santa Cruz police abuses and the crying need for radical change there. I disagree. I feel it shows the kind of rage and determination to act that Santa Cruz activists need to move beyond pious words, calls for “better police training”, and “let’s move on” suggestions.

In distributing word of the “Manifesto of Love” protest a few days ago to the HUFF (Homeless United for Friendship & Freedom) e-mail list, I included the following notes.

“Mainstream” Santa Cruz activists have generally been reluctant to confront Santa Cruz police abuse by name and incident. With some exceptions (surveillance equipment, the Bearcat scandal), broader policies have been ignored.

It’s time to link up with reform movements in other cities and demand real changes here.

 

No Police Brutality Day Saturday 6:30 PM October 22nd Town Clock

NOTES BY NORSE:   HUFF supports this demonstration of concern (some of us would say “rage”) about the unnecessary slaying of Sean Arlt, author of the book Manifesto of Love, who was shot four times fatally within a period of 20 seconds in spite of a clear “mental health watch” designation which the SCPD was aware of.

               HUFF has long-standing concerns about Chief Vogel’s department which we have itemized in detail in past demonstrations (See  https://www.indybay.org/uploads/2014/12/13/flyer__for__12-17.pdf AND https://www.indybay.org/uploads/2014/12/03/grand_jury_protest_updated.pdf .

               Though less so in recent months, SCPD continue to harass the Freedom Sleeper protest (which is ironically trying to relieve police of the burden of enforcing anti-homeless laws).  See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqVRFIZIkBs for police harassment of unhoused folks at Freedom SleepOut #67 two days ago.    Another of the many examples of police force against peaceful protesters is “Santa Cruz Police Arrest Journalist and Issue Stay Away Orders at Community Sleepout #5” at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2015/08/16/18776253.php.          Videoed examples of SCPD violence against unarmed people include “Video Surfaces of Santa Cruz Police Officers Hitting and Tasing Man” at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2015/03/11/18769816.php and “Police Injury of Homeless Man Still Unresolved” at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2015/02/18/18768736.php

 

HUFF Flyers calling for deep police reform in Santa Cruz are at Video of the Officer Vasquez’s takedown of Richard Hardy in this last incident can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Tyj3yxwy-o

Manifesto of Love
Date Saturday October 22
Time 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Location Details Santa Cruz Town Clock, corner of Pacific Ave and Water St, Santa Cruz
Event Type Vigil/Ritual
Organizer/AuthorFree SANTA CRUZ

MANIFESTO OF LOVE
…to end police violence and the criminalization of those without homes.

October 22nd No Police Brutality Day
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Candle light vigil starts at 6:30 PM
Town Clock
Pacific Avenue and Water and Front Streets, Santa Cruz

REMEMBER SEAN SMITH ARLT, AUTHOR OF THE LOVE MANIFESTO
“He was loving, caring, kind, and greatly inspired by social justice issues.”

“I’m’ just amazed that they shot a man with a rake,” said neighbor Larry Millsap.

Sean’s neighbor, Margaret Nelson said “We have to as a society step up and find a way to deal with mentally ill people when they’re out of their minds that doesn’t entail just killing them because they don’t respond.”

The Santa Cruz Police killed a mentally ill residence Sean Smith Arlt on the West Side. A second mentally ill person, John Blinkenberg, took his own life during a stand off with the police and their BearCat Armored Vehicle. This is part of a nationwide crisis where police use deadly force on people of color and the mentally ill. Call on the Santa Cruz Police Department to use a compassionate response for those suffering from mental health issues or forces to live on our streets.

October 22nd No Police Brutality Day started in 1996 in response to a number of high profile murders by the police of people of color and the brutal repression of non-violent protests.

manifesto-of-love.jpg

For more information or to leave comments, go to https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/10/20/18792493.php

In the wake of smoking police guns, HUFF meets tomorrow 11 AM Sub Rosa Cafe at 703 Pacific

With the recent killing Sean Amit Sunday morning,  police gunslingers have raised a long needed debate about the need for Community Control of Police that HUFF has long been urging.    Or will this be another excuse to blame the disabled and the “mentally ill”?     Also on the Agenda:

  • the ACLU Board of Directors meeting 7 PM tomorrow night at Louden Nelson–homeless defense on the agenda or was the Houseless Forum A Carnival Passing Through Town?…
  • Tenant Rights Forum 7 PM Louden Nelson also tomorrow–Will City Council candidates punt or play (don’t get your hopes up)…
  • the continuing struggle of vendors and street performers downtown–Romina’s struggle as the City Attorney stonewalls…
  • street artists Joff and Alex–a lost battle against the Blue Boxes–but an ongoing war?
  • Endorsing Council Candidates or Repudiating the Election?
  • Rainy Days and Rousts–is Jessica Nash’s report a peek into the future?…

and, of course, more and more…
with hits of coffee available to keep you going…

Rain or Shine–Freedom SleepOut #67 Rolls On

Date Tuesday October 18
Time 3:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Location Details Cityhall Land–where sleep for the homeless is banned and armed Sleepbusters get their paychecks at 809 Center St. After the First Amendment closes down at 10 PM on the City Hall grounds, many will choose to sleep along the Center St. sidewalk between Locust and Church Sts. The event goes on until Wednesday morning, after which houseless folks face harassment at the whim of police, rangers, and security thugs for the rest of the week.
Event Type Protest
Organizer/Author Keith McHenry (story by Norse)
Email
keith [at] foodnotbombs.net
Phone
575-770–3377

BLOWING THE WHISTLE ON BAD CONDITIONS IN SHERIFF HART’S JAIL
Freedom Sleeper Lucero Luna, many times arrested and jailed, for peaceful protest against the Sleeping Ban on Pacific Avenue, reported her attempts to create alleviation of bad conditions in the women’s jail resulted in a “crazy” designation. Her report noted women were held on the men’s side of the jail; male jailers watched her while she was stripped; women were packed into a cell like sardines; the floors covered with women trying to sleep; She was wakened every half hour with a flashlight in the face for “suicide checks”. Reportedly bunk beds were put in shortly after her departure in possible response to Lucero’s expose.

FREEZING FREE EXPRESSION ON PACIFIC AVENUE
Visual artists Joff Jones and Alex Skelton were assaulted with $1300 in fines for displaying their paintings “outside the blue boxes” in the courtroom of Commissioner “Bash the Bums” Baskett. She dismissed and ignored all Constitutional arguments after making a show of keeping to court protocol. It’s unclear whether two, who have (in my view unwisely) kept their defense and their case under wraps, will appeal.

Ramini–an Iranian musician and craftswoman–was fined $233 for having her artwork on display without any evidence of sales as part of a cultural background to her musical performing. The City Attorney’s office has refused to clarify whether it now regards any display of handicrafts, even if handmade and not offered for sale or donation, a crime.

A dozen homeless folks were driven out into the rain, reports Jessica Nash, late Friday morning as they took shelter under the trees across from the Civic Auditorium. See “Police and Ranger Raid on Homeless In the Rain Reported” at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/10 ./14/18792238.php

Continue reading

Video of Santa Cruz ACLU’s Form on Houselessness

Wes White, a lead activist in establishing and supporting the Salinas Flagpole houseless community at Salinas City Hall, came to Santa Cruz last week to speak at and video the Rhodes event.

The Flagpole Community was forcibly dispersed by Salinas police on the night of Saturday October 1 using a draconian “emergency” law passed by the Salinas City Council 10 days earlier.

There has, as of yet, been no follow-up by the Santa Cruz ACLU, the sponsor of the Rhodes book tour, in terms of any local challenges to local repressive Santa Cruz ordinances. Meanwhile, homeless folks face continued harassment as the weather turns colder. See “Police and Ranger Raid on Homeless In the Rain Reported” at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/10/14/18792238.php .

The video of the ACLU Forum on Houselessness can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kmy7TwsnbzM&feature=youtu.be .

HUFF Updates: Cruelty in the Rain in Santa Cruz; Fresno Activist on Free Radio Sunday 11 AM; Tips for Those Fighting Police/Ranger Property Seizures


Police and Ranger Raid on Santa Cruz Homeless In the Rain Reported
by Robert Norse (rnorse3 [at] hotmail.com )
Friday Oct 14th, 2016 7:22 PM

Around 11 AM today, activist and car-dweller Jessica Nash reports that two vans of “Park Rangers” from Harvey West followed by 5 cars of SCPD in uniform pulled up on a dozen homeless people. They were sitting on the wall and under sheltering trees from the rain by the side of the sidewalk across from the Civic Auditorium today. The armed officers threatened to seize blankets, bikes, food, and belongings if the homeless didn’t move out into the bad weather.

MAKING SANTA CRUZ “LESS FRIENDLY” TO THE UNHOUSED
According to a phone report from Ms. Nash, the police told homeless people “get your stuff and get out or we’re gonna bring a truck, load it up, and take it away.” The rangers–already in trucks– appeared ready to remove homeless survival gear. Some were there watching property for others. Everyone was threatened to force them to leave.

The police raid came upon homeless sharing food and sheltering themselves from the first winter storm. The threats to take their blankets, their bikes, their food, and their belongings frightened the homeless into silence.

This apparently was not enough. Ms. Nash reported that when she tried to help folks gather up their stuff, one cop began threatening her. “You’ve got a car? Well, get in it and leave. I can impound it right now–I’m so pissed off.”

Nash reported the dialogue continued: “Don’t make me inpound your car. You have expired tags. I’m sick of people not listening.” Nash, with her sheltering car at stake, said she was forced to leave.

The “deportation and removal” action reportedly took about an hour. She noted rangers were also armed with tasers and guns.

DEEPER DISCRIMINATION AND INDIFFERENCE BY MAYOR MATHEWS, CITY COUNCIL, CITY STAFF, AND POVERTY PIMPS
Ms. Nash has sought legal help to deal with disability discrimination at the Homeless (Lack of) Services Center [HLOSC] at 115 Coral St. She claims she was repeatedly being denied services because of bedbugs she claims came from the still vermin-ridden Paul Lee Loft. She spoke before City Council on Tuesday about the wretched conditions and left in tears. Officials promised no action, claiming it was a County matter. However the City provides over $100,000 a year to the HLOSC and the HLOSC Board usually includes a Council member.

There is currently no walk-in shelter in Santa Cruz. Waiting lists for the HLOSC are either full or require a “pathway to housing” (i.e. a monthly check). The City Hall sidewalk is the site of a weekly Sleep-Out there by the Freedom Sleepers, now going into their 67th week next Tuesday.

Nash noted Mayor Cynthia Mathews had not returned her calls. Mathews–running for reelection–voted to continue to make the act of sleeping outside after 11 PM a crime costing several hundred dollars in fines, for which hundreds of citations have been issued in the last few years. Even the token 100-space Winter Shelter Armory is not slated to be funded and opened this year (with the homeless population at 1000-2000)

Under Mathews, the City Hall bathrooms have frequently been locked during the day.  Two 2nd class homeless portapotties (located at Cedar and Locust, and Cedar and Lincoln) were recently set up supposedly to open at 10 PM at night.    All existing brick-and-mortar bathrooms with sinks have been closed during the day in spite of the need for community use at night.  Activists report that even these portapotties have not been open on occasions when homeless folks have tried to use them.

POLITICS AS USUAL?
Mathews is running for Santa Cruz City Council for her 6th term on a business-as-usual slate, opposed by the New City Council slate of Schnaar, Glover, Brown, and Krohn.  Outspoken Sleeping Ban opponent Steve Pleich has withdrawn from the race and thrown his support to the New City Council slate.  HUFF (Homeless United for Friendship and Freedom) has made no endorsements with none of the candidates other than Pleich presenting specific proposals to decriminalize homeless folks and deal with the upcoming winter shelter/police violence crisis.

TO READ OR MAKE COMMENTS GO TO:  https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/10/14/18792238.php

Follow-Up on ACLU’s Forum on Houselessness–Mike Rhodes Phone Interview
Date Sunday October 16
Time 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Location Details
Free Radio Santa Cruz 101.3 FM, streams at http://www.freakradio.org.

Call in after 11:30 AM at 831-427-3772. Leave comments off-air at 831-423-4833.

Archives at http://radiolibre.org/brb/brb161016.mp3 (an hour and a half into the audio file).

Activist and writer Mike Rhodes, author of Dispatches from the War Zone and principal speaker at the ACLU Forum, follows up on his talk with a discussion of his tour and current strategies for fighting attacks on the poor in Fresno and elsewhere.

Continue reading

POLICE AND RANGERS ROUST HOMELESS IN RAIN IN SANTA CRUZ

by Robert Norse (rnorse3 [at] hotmail.com )

Friday Oct 14th, 2016 7:22 PM

Around 11 AM today, activist and car-dweller Jessica Nash reports that two vans of “Park Rangers” from Harvey West followed by 5 cars of SCPD in uniform pulled up on a dozen homeless people. They were sitting on the wall and under sheltering trees from the rain by the side of the sidewalk across from the Civic Auditorium today. The armed officers threatened to seize blankets, bikes, food, and belongings if the homeless didn’t move out into the bad weather.
MAKING SANTA CRUZ “LESS FRIENDLY” TO THE UNHOUSED
According to a phone report from Ms. Nash, the police told homeless people “get your stuff and get out or we’re gonna bring a truck, load it up, and take it away.” The rangers–already in trucks– appeared ready to remove homeless survival gear. Some were there watching property for others. Everyone was threatened to force them to leave.

The police raid came upon homeless sharing food and sheltering themselves from the first winter storm. The threats to take their blankets, their bikes, their food, and their belongings frightened the homeless into silence.

This apparently was not enough. Ms. Nash reported that when she tried to help folks gather up their stuff, one cop began threatening her. “You’ve got a car? Well, get in it and leave. I can impound it right now–I’m so pissed off.”

Nash reported the dialogue continued: “Don’t make me inpound your car. You have expired tags. I’m sick of people not listening.” Nash, with her sheltering car at stake, said she was forced to leave.

The “deportation and removal” action reportedly took about an hour. She noted rangers were also armed with tasers and guns.

DEEPER DISCRIMINATION AND INDIFFERENCE BY POLITICANS AND POVERTY PIMPS
Ms. Nash has sought legal help to deal with disability discrimination at the Homeless (Lack of) Services Center [HLOSC] at 115 Coral St. She claims she was repeatedly being denied services because of bedbugs she claims came from the still vermin-ridden Paul Lee Loft. She spoke before City Council on Tuesday about the wretched conditions and left in tears. Officials promised no action, claiming it was a County matter. However the City provides over $100,000 a year to the HLOSC and the HLOSC Board usually includes a Council member.

There is currently no walk-in shelter in Santa Cruz. Waiting lists for the HLOSC are either full or require a “pathway to housing” (i.e. a monthly check). The City Hall sidewalk is the site of a weekly Sleep-Out there by the Freedom Sleepers, now going into their 67th week next Tuesday.

Nash noted Mayor Cynthia Mathews had not returned her calls. Matthews–running for reelection–voted to continue to make the act of sleeping outside after 11 PM a crime costing several hundred dollars in fines, for which hundreds of citations have been issued in the last few years. Even the token 100-space Winter Shelter Armory is not slated to be funded and opened this year (with the homeless population at 1000-2000).

READ AND LEAVE COMMENTS AT https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/10/14/18792238.php

Around 11 AM today, activist and car-dweller Jessica Nash reports that two vans of “Park Rangers” from Harvey West followed by 5 cars of SCPD in uniform pulled up on a dozen homeless people. They were sitting on the wall and under sheltering trees from the rain by the side of the sidewalk across from the Civic Auditorium today. The armed officers threatened to seize blankets, bikes, food, and belongings if the homeless didn’t move out into the bad weather.