Police Homeless Sweep
At the May meeting of the Orange County Homeless Initiatives Task Force, two representatives of the homeless in Santa Ana told the members that, during a recent sweep, Santa Ana police officers seized the medicine of a homeless woman, suffering from epilepsy. One hour later the victim of this confiscation suffered an epileptic seizure.
This allegation was heard by about 40 members of the task force, who represent city and volunteer organizations throughout Orange County.
I think you will agree with us that this matter should be investigated by Santa Ana immediately, and the results of the investigation should be published.
Besides blackening the name of Santa Ana before the whole of Orange County, the cruelty and possible illegality of such sweeps should be apparent to even the most hardhearted citizen of your city. We have been assured that these sweeps are in violation of a court order in an existing lawsuit.
Surely Santa Ana does not consider this to be a reasonable answer to the national crisis of homelessness.
SYLVIA EASTON
Chairwoman of Irvine Task Force
for the Homeless
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