Eureka Police Department Capt. Steve Watson informed the Journal today that his team had scrapped plans for a controversial behavior-based voucher system that would have seen some homeless people have to exchange community service for meals at the St. Vincent de Paul cafeteria.
The voucher idea, one of many creative solutions proposed by EPD in order to address problems with crime and blight in the area around St. Vincent de Paul on West Third Street, would have been used as an alternative to sending homeless people found loitering, camping, littering or engaging in other low-level offenses through the criminal justice system. Instead, said offenders would be ticketed by officers and have their meal privileges suspended until they had done a certain amount of community service. Their service would be documented, at which point they could exchange this documentation for the reinstatement of meals.
In an interview with the Journal, St. Vincent de Paul staff expressed doubt about whether their small staff would be able to implement this program. Several advocacy groups, including Affordable Homeless Housing Alternatives and Friends of the Humboldt Houseless, also expressed concern with the idea. Watson said today that, after meeting with St. Vincent de Paul, the idea has been scrapped. EPD will continue to implement environmental changes to the area in response to concerns from business owners, including potentially controlling access to some alleyways and loading docks.
“We really didn’t want to be seen as using St. Vincent de Paul as enforcement,” Watson said in a phone interview. “At the end of the day, it was clear that this wasn’t going to be the best way forward.”
Watson said his team was exploring a different approach similar to that implemented by a nonprofit in Santa Cruz, which recruits homeless people as volunteers for beautification projects, rewarding the effort with gift certificates for laundry or transportation needs.
“This is constantly evolving as we try to find solutions outside of enforcement,” Watson told the Journal.
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This article appears in Buddy’s Blues.
Homeless need and we need to treat them as INDIVIDUALS. We won’t diminish the numbers unless we treat them as the individuals that they are. Relying on religious organizations (with agendas, even when hidden) should be ILLEGAL. SOME homeless would benefit from community service and volunteering OTHERS are :
1. suffering and in need of R&R, mental health care etc. WE DON”T ASK THOSE WITH SIGNIFICANT PHYSICAL issues like cancer to volunteer WHILE fighting the disease yet we subject those with mental health problems to higher expectations than the general public who does not volunteer especially at random ..they volunteer if and when and for what they choose.
2. and/or needing to recoup and then need to spend all of their time finding ways to survive ..housing, work or whatever. Looking for work is a full-time job!! Especially a livable wage when you are over 50!
Volunteerism is great if you are retired AND don’t have to work or have a partner who supports you or a family inheritance or whatever.
I find this interesting in that the program in Santa Cruz that Watson talks about has not started yet so there is no way to know if it is a good idea or not. The Santa Cruz program is believed to cost around $400,000 this year. They closed the emergency shelter because of a short fall of $600,000. The shelter not only provided a place for people to sleep but showers, meals and mail service. Something is wrong here.
“Watson said his team was exploring a different approach similar to that implemented by a nonprofit in Santa Cruz, which recruits homeless people as volunteers for beautification projects, rewarding the effort with gift certificates for laundry or transportation needs.”
We would modify ours, if it is even feasible, to fit the needs and capabilities of our community. We’re just trying to control behavior, reduce crime and disorder problems, and improve the safety and beauty of our Old Town area (and the rest of the city) through creative crime fighting that is firm when needed but fair. Think outside the box and find other options beyond just enforcement. You sound interested. Why don’t you help us find a solution? Contact our Homeless Programs Manager Lynette Mullen (lmullen@ci.eureka.ca.gov) if you’ve got a better idea or want to help us find one.
Interim Chief Watson
I find it absolutely disgusting that EPD would even consider a program that uses starvation as a punishment tool. Can you say, “obvious human rights violation” boys and girls? But then again, EPD has quite the reputation for human rights violations.