Groups Oppose Law on Homeless in Park

The Santa Monica Commission on the Status of Women is very concerned about the safety, the economic, mental and physical health, and the social conditions of women in the community. We are opposed to unjust discrimination in law enforcement--with respect to gender, sexual orientation, age, physical disability, race or ethnicity, or homeless status.

We recognize that some ordinances prohibiting seemingly innocuous behavior (such as loitering) can be useful tools for the police to stop and search persons on suspicion of engaging in other, more clearly criminal behavior (such as illegal drug dealing). We do not oppose Ordinance 4202A, the law prohibiting sleeping in public parks between midnight and 5 a.m. on this ground.

However, we are opposed to criminalizing homelessness. The impact of enforcing this ordinance may be to subject a person who repeatedly violates the ordinance to arrest and jailing, pending prosecution--even though the city attorney declines to prosecute.

We support police discretion in law enforcement as long as such discretion is not discriminatory. However, enforcing the sleeping in the park ordinance may compel homeless people to either get out of town, violate some other law (such as trespassing on private property) or face arrest.

We ask the Santa Monica City Council to meet and confer with relevant city officials on a continuing basis to discuss guidelines that would minimize the criminalization of the homeless for merely sleeping in public parks.

MICHELE A. WITTIG, Chairwoman, Santa Monica, Commission on Status of Women