There Has to Be a Better Way

Homeless men waiting in the rain for coffee at the Los Angeles Catholic Worker soup kitchen on Skid Row early Tuesday morning were told by police officers with bullhorns to move along to the missions. Although the Catholic Worker workers have been passing out coffee and lunch at 6th Street and Gladys Avenue for 17 years, the regulars were told that they could no longer wait in line for the kitchen to open.

The police say that they are only doing their job, and it’s a tough one. There are laws against loitering, sleeping on sidewalks, urinating in doorways and being drunk in public. There are legitimate complaints from businesses and stores about homeless people nestled in foyers, a sure turn-off to both patrons and employees. There is no law, however, against a cold, wet, hungry, homeless person waiting in line for a hot cup of coffee.

Patrol officers have been told by their commander not to roust street people from a food line again. But the cops, according to a Los Angeles Police Department spokesman, will continue to encourage street people to move from doorways, street gatherings and other areas to gather in front of the major missions that provide services and shelter. The practice sounds reasonable, but to homeless people the encouragement sounds more like an order. The missions are already full; hundreds of homeless people are forced to stand around outside for hours. What are Skid Row’s 3,000 homeless people and 8,000 permanent residents to do all day?

There is no city policy concerning where street people can or cannot stand, but Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, made aware of the new situation on Skid Row, has called a meeting of police, city officials and service providers for next Thursday. The Los Angeles City Council should also get involved. There has to be a better way to protect area businesses and to help homeless people who need a decent place to live--not a place to stand.