San Antonio Police Department Issues Thousands of Tickets for Homelessness

[TexasTowelie]

Data and records obtained by the Current show that between January 1, 2013, and early October of this year the San Antonio Police Department issued more than 12,000 citations for violations of city laws aimed at discouraging the homeless and poor from hanging out downtown or asking for donations. The crimes include aggressive solicitation—seeking donations in an intimidating manner—but also any solicitation within forbidden zones, camping in a public place, littering, spitting, urinating or defecating in public, disorderly conduct and sitting or lying in the right of way.

All of these violations are Class C misdemeanors, some punishable by fines of up to $200 apiece and others up to $500 each.

In the recent debate over San Antonio Police Chief William McManus’ ill-fated proposal to ticket individuals who give to panhandlers, the police maintained that they are focused on a class of individuals who aren’t truly homeless, but who are essentially low-level con artists, seeking charity that they then spend on cigarettes, drugs and alcohol.

“I’ve been working the streets for 40 years, and in four cities, and I see what happens to the majority of money that goes to panhandlers,” McManus told the Current in September. “A few people may need a buck to go buy a burger, but the vast majority of people are using that money to buy alcohol, drugs and cigarettes.”

Read more: http://sacurrent.com/news/sapd-issues-thousands-of-tickets-for-homelessness-1.1774819

[Kalidurga]

1. There is a way to solve the drug problem for the most part

but, it isn't by the draconian punishments that are so popular with the law and order at any cost even if it makes no sense crowd.

[samsingh]

2. i have no trust left in many police

[procon]

3. Does San Antonio also run privatized prisons?

There a big surge in 'debtors prisons" where poor people get charged for a series of petty offenses and they can't pay the fines, so the state imprisons them where the fines continue to accumulate for each infraction and result in increasingly long imprisonments. Factor in homeless people who suffer with mental health and addiction issues and it's easy for a profit prison to rack up lots of added charges to bill the taxpayers for wholesale warehousing the poor.

[TexasTowelie]

4. No, I do not believe that they do.

In most Texas municipalities they let people who are unable to pay their fines stay in jail and give them credit of $50 each day so that they eventually are released and the jails do not become over-crowded.

[TexasTowelie]

5. I wanted to add

that Texas is generally forgiving towards debtors and deadbeats. The only instances I know that they will garnish wages are for taxes and child support. There is no income tax and also no alimony in Texas. I don't believe that there are any debtor prisons within Texas either.

[Ilsa]

7. Correction: Texas has an alimony-lite type of arrangement

for up to about three years, IIRC. I can't remember when it was codified. I think it's called "spousal maintenance."

[TexasTowelie]

8. Thanks, it looks like it can also last for more than three years.

http://www.divorcenet.com/resources/divorce/spousal-support/understanding-and-calculating-alimony-te

[NaturalHigh]

6. Well gee, that should solve the problem.

Those tickets will teach those homeless people to go out and get homes.

/sarcasm