Cozier Streets for Tourists, Minimized Criminalization for Homeless People
After five months of biweekly meetings, the Streets and Neighborhoods workgroup will submit its proposal for making downtown safer for San Francisco residents—and, thanks to revised language, some concerns of the city’s homeless residents will also be considered.
“I’m shocked, simply shocked, that a body comprised 89 percent of downtown business representatives, and political appointees beholden to downtown business interests, could come to an agreement about policies concerning the rights of poor people,” said Street Sheet editor Bob Offer-Westort, who attended the October 22 meeting at UC Hastings College of the Law.
Coalition on Homelessness Executive Director Jennifer Friedenbach ironed out details with the task force to prevent further criminalization of homeless people. She collaborated with a group organized by Mayor Gavin Newsom, and which included Convention and Visitor Bureau CEO Joe D’Alessandro and Human Services Agency Director Trent Rhorer.
Tweaks in the language include redefining “unpredictable behavior” as “assaultive behavior” in addressing behavioral problems. Also, the enforcement of laws against blocking sidewalks has been de-emphasized: Police would instead redirect homeless people to nearby increased available public seating during businesses’ operating hours only.
The group also proposed creating a relationship between mental health providers and the police. Conard House’s Seth Katzman suggested the incorporation of expanded training of police officers in dealing with mental health matters with a pre-booking diversion program. Fewer people would be cited for behaviors originating from mental health conditions, Katzman said.
The workgroup will make a request to meet with Newsom about the proposal.
Other recommendations agreed upon include establishing “High Impact Zones”—earlier called “VIP Zones”—in Union Square and Yerba Buena, a drug-free zone in the Tenderloin, and a 24-hour resource center that offers services such as showers, storage, and bathrooms.
The Mayor’s Office was originally pushing a zone with a sit-lie ordinance and increases in penalties and enforcement for “quality of life” offenses. This was softened down to an increase in police presence for aggressive panhandling and horn honking. In addition, the Mayor’s Office wanted police to issue misdemeandors instead of infractions for sleeping and camping. This recommendation was removed.
The workgroup included representatives from the Coalition on Homelessness; Police, Fire, and Public Works departments; the Chamber of Commerce; the District Attorney’s and Public Defender’s offices; and the Human Services Network.
T.J.