So much for compassion...we'll give you a ticket instead

[rapidsequence]

A homeless veteran says he was just looking for something to eat when he was ticketed by Houston police officers for rummaging through a trash can.
44-year-old James Kelly tells the Houston Chronicle he was cited for "disturbing the contents of a garbage can in (the) downtown business district."
"I was just basically looking for something to eat," Kelly told the paper. "I wasn't in a real good mood."
Houston city officials pointed out in an e-mail to the paper that a charitable food event was happening at the same time Kelly was cited, but referred all other questions on the matter to police.
"The ordinance is specific to the Central Business District," the Houston Police Department said in a statement. "It is a violation for anyone to remove any contents of any bin, bag or other container that has been placed for collection of garbage, trash or recyclable materials. An officer has probable cause to issue such a citation when a person is seen opening a lid and rummaging through contents of a dumpster or trash can."
Kelly, who spent about nine years in Navy, says he does not plan to stay in Houston, but has nowhere to live at this time.


http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/03/1...h-can-for-food/?test=latestnews#ixzz2NNkSGcuE


so, we had a police officer in NYC buying shoes on his own dime to give to a homeless guy in the dead of winter, and here we have an officer ticketing a homeless guy for "removing contents from a bin that has been placed for collection of garbage"...this just really bothers me....

 

[tacmedic]

Its gotten terminal. Cutting healthcare and tuition assistance for our veterans and yet providing these service free of charge to illegal aliens. Its no by accident its intentional. They are saying clearly who they value and who's welcome. It's time to fight for what's right and for those who have fought for us.

 

[Remington]

Its gotten terminal. Cutting healthcare and tuition assistance for our veterans and yet providing these service free of charge to illegal aliens. Its no by accident its intentional. They are saying clearly who they value and who's welcome. It's time to fight for what's right and for those who have fought for us.

Amen brother.

 

[AKguy1985]

And if he is really homeless and destitute he wont be able to pay the fine and they'll issue a bench warrant for his arrest.

 

[Peace_Maker]

Its gotten terminal. Cutting healthcare and tuition assistance for our veterans and yet providing these service free of charge to illegal aliens. Its no by accident its intentional. They are saying clearly who they value and who's welcome. It's time to fight for what's right and for those who have fought for us.

It's all about who is going to vote for who.

 

[Blitzfike]

The nature of spending cuts creats problems that are going to hammer us as a society in ways we have never considered.. Everyone is talking about keeping the mentally ill from having weapons, but in the coming months we will be seeing even more mentally ill folks on the streets because the funding to keep them in facilities will be gone or reduced. Griffin Memorial Hospital in Norman has already had funding cut. Street people come in many flavors, some there by choice, some there due to circumstances, and some dumped out of care facilities. It is really easy to grumble "Get a Job" when we see someone holding a sign asking for money for food, and most of those folks are scam artists. What we need to remember is that there are lots of genuinely needy people out there who fall through the cracks. As a LEO I tried to keep my first impressions neutral, thinking "There but for the grace of God, go I" I'm an old guy, and in my younger years as a society, we didn't depend nearly so much on the Government for assistance for those in need. I think we have lost part of what made us great by becoming so dependant on government to take care of us.. Blitzfike

 

[inactive]

Cutting healthcare and tuition assistance for our veterans and yet providing these service free of charge to illegal aliens.

So where does an illegal go to get free health care that screens out and turns away the homeless veterans?


Serious question. I'm all for getting the veterans help, but I'm not sure what scenarios, programs, services or clinics your comments are describing.

 

[bettingpython]

The city pointed out a charitable food event was going on at the same time he got cited. How the hell is a truly indigent homeless person going to know that? I doubt he has a television or radio in his deluxe cardboard box or a smart phone to get the homeless people's news feed update on charitable food drives. Get a life Houston thats just asinine to go pointing out in the paper. There's a difference between a highway on ramp panhandler and a guy digging through trash for a meal.

 

[Glocktogo]

And if he is really homeless and destitute he wont be able to pay the fine and they'll issue a bench warrant for his arrest.

And he'll be wanted, but Houston won't extradite if he leaves, complicating his legal status even further. They either have the ordinance to roust the homeless, or to keep corporate espionage through dumpster diving in check.

This is only going to get worse. As more and more people drop off the unemployment rolls without jobs and mental health care funding is further cut, it's a self-fulfilling cycle. As the homeless become more prevalent, cities will try to move them off through various means. A high homeless population is "unattractive" and it makes those with money but no conscience uncomfortable.

The question is, what do we as a society do to correct the issue?

 

[918evo]

There are shelters and food all over the place. Most of the homeless have food stamp cards. Some homeless people go through the garbage for credit card and identity information and then sell it. They will make up any lie to make you feel sorry for them and get out of a situation. Over the last three years, I have had 24 tires slashed, six cars burned down, and two windows busted out by homeless people. I have no sympathy for able-bodied people that do not work.