Infamous Sweep Has Become Turning Point for Homeless : * Santa Ana’s Police, Officials and Aid Groups Now Working Together

Barely a year ago, Santa Ana’s advocates for the homeless and the city were pitted against each other in disputes over the city’s homeless population. The situation worsened when police conducted a “sweep” of Civic Center homeless, an action that backfired legally.

The city appears to have learned something from its past failures, however. There is a new spirit of cooperation in Santa Ana on homeless issues. The city and homeless advocacy groups are now working together on ways to deal with the crime and sanitation problems that arise from homelessness. They are also helping the homeless get off the streets.

No such cooperation seemed possible on Aug. 15, 1990, when Santa Ana police conducted the Civic Center sweep. The action, in which homeless people were cited for littering and other minor infractions, was one of a series of ill-conceived attempts by the city to respond to crime and safety concerns of Civic Center employees. In the course of the sweep, 64 people were taken to Santa Ana Stadium and shackled to benches.

Prompted by the Legal Aid Society, lawyers from the county’s top law firms represented the homeless, for free, in challenging the sweep. The results were dramatic. The city, while denying that it had singled out the homeless, agreed never to do so again. When those arrested were brought to trial, a municipal judge strongly criticized the sweep and threw out the charges. Last month, Santa Ana settled all but one of the civil lawsuits brought against it. The city paid $400,000 to 28 homeless people.

All of these events pointed out the need for a new approach to the homeless in Santa Ana, which bears the brunt of the problem for all of Orange County. Credit for bringing about such new thinking goes primarily to Police Chief Paul M. Walters and the Legal Aid Society’s Robert J. Cohen.

Walters revamped law enforcement in the Civic Center area after responsibility, previously shared with the Sheriff’s Department, was turned over to his department. Walters also recently created a Civic Center Patrol, assigning some of the department’s best officers.

To assist the new patrol, Cohen helped Walters organize the Civic Center Forum to gather information about problems in the area. Cohen has also helped provide consultants to police on issues concerning homelessness, including mental illness and drug and alcohol addiction.

The forum has also resulted in other ideas on ways of helping the homeless. For example, after discussing theft among the homeless, a group offered sealed trash bins as an alternate to shopping carts the homeless usually use to store belongings. The Police Department will store the bins in a secure parking lot.

Besides these law enforcement activities, the City Council has been searching for new ways to deal with the homeless. Low-cost housing is essential, and the council is working with housing groups to establish the city’s first single-room-occupancy hotels. Also, portable toilets have been installed in the Civic Center area, which has improved sanitation.

Besides city efforts, there is a pilot program, funded by a $100,000 grant from the Social Security Administration, to help the homeless apply for benefits for which they may be eligible. It was significant that Santa Ana police officers helped in the benefits sign-up.

The Civic Center sweep, while ill-considered, provided an important turning point for the city. More than local efforts, of course, are needed to address homelessness, which is a national problem. Nevertheless, it’s good that in Santa Ana, the police, the city and local groups are working together to find ways to confront problems in the Civic Center.