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UID:Indybay-18769742
SEQUENCE:18889912
CREATED:20150309T225400Z
DESCRIPTION:BACKGROUND\nThe City Council's Public Safety Committee [PSC] is charged 
 with overseeing police and fire departments. However, in the last few 
 years, it's been the means (along with Parks and Rec boss Dannettee 
 Shoemaker) for funneling anti-homeless legislation to the City Council. 
 \n\nSuch laws have masqueraded as "public safety" measures in the latest 
 smear of the poor who sleep outside as a pretext to give police more 
 'tools" to frighten them out of sight and out of town. \n\nThese laws 
 include the "panhandlers--and political activists--stay off the medians in 
 the city" and a series of other concerns prepared by the anti-homeless 
 Public Safety Task Force of 2013. \n\n\n“HARASS THE HOMELESS” POLICE 
 POWERS BALLOON\nIn January 2013, City Council vastly expanded its law 
 unconstitutionally delegating sweeping "stay-away" order powers to police 
 and rangers with no guidelines, no court oversight, and no independent 
 access to appeal. \n\nThe ordinance is MC 10.08.100 at 
 http://www.codepublishing.com/ca/santacruz/. \n\nI critically analyze the 
 law at http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2014/11/24/18764553.php ["Stay-Away 
 Stupidity Not on Tuesday's 11-25 Council Agenda"] \n\n\nNO HEARING 
 SCHEDULED; NO HEARING EVER HAPPENED\nThe PSC has so far declined to examine 
 the lessons learned from a year and a half from Council's earlier 1-day 
 Stay-Away law passed in June of 2013. A thorough examination of tickets 
 issued under this law reveal some striking and shocking concerns. \n\nFar 
 from having anything to do with Public Safety, the "Stay-Away" law was used 
 in its earlier weaker form to harass homeless people for non-criminal 
 survival behavior (or behavior that posed no threat to anyone) such as 
 sleeping, being in a park after dark, and smoking. \n\n(See "Stay-Away From 
 Human Rights ! An Activist Examines the Escalating Stay-Away Orders Law" at 
 http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2014/10/25/18763326.php) \n\nCouncilmember 
 Terrazas, PSC Chair, has so far declined to put the Stay-Away on the 
 agenda, even though his committee is charged with examining the impact of 
 the law--but not until September 2015! \n\nSince the law has already been 
 used over 1000 times in its earlier form, refusing to look at clear facts 
 is unacceptable.  Pursuing and terrorizing homeless people to make the 
 parks “friendlier” is the likely prospect for many of the City's 
 1500-2000 homeless, 90% of whom have no shelter at night.\n\n\nTAKE 
 ACTION\nHUFF has urged Terrazas to review the real and substantial record. 
 Instead, for unclear reasons the meeting has been postponed. \n\nWe 
 encourage people to contact HUFF to help those given Stay-Away's to 
 challenge them before the City Manager, join protests around the issue, and 
 help track the dimensions of this new attack on the homeless community. 
 \n\nWe also urge those concerned to e-mail the PSC members: \ndterrazas 
 [at] cityofsantacruz.com pcomstock [at] cityofsantacruz.com \ncchase [at] 
 cityofsantacruz.com \n\nOr call them at 831-420-5020 to urge them to hold 
 public hearings immediately and call for suspension of the law.  Until it's 
 clear that the law addresses real criminal behavior and does not target 
 poor people outside.\n\nHUFF can be reached at 831-423-HUFF (4833). \nOr 
 e-mail rnorse3 [at] hotmail.com . \n 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2015/03/09/18769742.php
SUMMARY:Santa Cruz City Council's Public Safety Committee Meeting Postponed
LOCATION:City Council Chambers or City Council Conference Room next door
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2015/03/09/18769742.php
DTSTART:20150310T010000Z
DTEND:20150310T010000Z
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