Homeless Policy Sparks Protests in Santa Monica : Crime: A rally debates prosecution of transients, and signatures are filed in a petition drive targeting the city attorney.

Concern about the growing transient problem in Santa Monica focused on City Atty. Robert M. Myers this week with a City Hall lawn rally and the filing of nearly 11,000 signatures on a petition that would make Myers’ job elective rather than appointive.

The rally was vocal but controlled Tuesday night, and it featured both proponents and opponents of the measure disagreeing on whether Myers was at the root of the homeless problem in Santa Monica, as supporters of the measure claim.

Leslie Dutton, a spokeswoman for Santa Monicans for the Citizens Protection Act, blames growing street crime by transients on Myers’ policy of not prosecuting most misdemeanor crimes committed by homeless people.

If at least 7,842 of the 10,928 signatures submitted Monday morning to the city clerk are verified by the county registrar-recorder, the measure will be placed on the November municipal ballot.

“We have to ask the question, ‘Why are there so many derelicts in Santa Monica?’ ” Dutton said. “The answer is because of the city’s policy not to cite, not to arrest, not to prosecute derelicts.”

Myers has maintained that prosecuting homeless people for sleeping in parks and non-aggressive panhandling only clutters jails and courtrooms and does not address the homeless situation.

Before the City Council meeting Tuesday night, a rally organized by a homeowners group calling for a tougher city policy on transients was nearly upstaged by a counter-rally held by supporters of homeless people.

At one point, several people in the group of about 300 shouted at each other over who or what is to blame for the growing number of homeless people in Santa Monica.

After a brief exchange, members of Concerned Homeowners of Santa Monica (CHOSM) moved to one side and held their rally, which included speeches by Councilman Herb Katz and Councilwoman Christine Reed.

“We have to help the homeless, but we need protection, too,” Katz said.

Although CHOSM has endorsed the initiative to elect the city attorney, organizers were there to propose that the City Council adopt a policy not to tolerate aggressive transients and to push for the creation of a Homeless Policy Commission to monitor development of such a policy. The group does not want any social services providers on the commission.

It also proposes that the city hire a lobbyist--similar to one recently hired to deal with rent control and housing issues--to press for help from the county, state and federal governments.

The group also wants the number of officers on the Police Department’s Homeless Enforcement Liaison Program (HELP) increased from two officers patrolling eight hours a days to four officers who would patrol in two shifts.

The program was implemented last month to warn transients about city laws and help identify chronic offenders.