Got word of a Sweep happening in the Castro this morning. Here is an interaction law enforcement had with a man living in the encampment. As you’ll see, the officer threatens him with a misdemeanor if he didn’t leave. I’m usually pretty patient with cops, I always try to de-escalate the situation, but this guy hit a nerve. He pissed me off to the point where I threw the “I’m on the Local Homeless Coordinating Board and I work at the Coalition on Homelessness!” card at him. What he was saying was nonsense and I’m tired and cranky… no patience for that.
Hey Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, if you are calling for Sweeps in your district you should come out and be there for it. You should have to look into the faces of the people this is impacting… you should have to see the trauma this is causing. That might give you a change of heart because it’s heartbreaking. Sweeps during a global pandemic are cruel and inhuman!
We were able to intervene in this situation and worked with folks (including a rad neighbor who lives in the building and was a huge help and advocate!) so the sidewalk was no longer blocked. And I’m happy to report that this man didn’t receive a misdemeanor… he received appropriate accommodations during this crisis where he feels safe. That’s a win.
Another win today… in the afternoon in the Tenderloin we were able to get an amazing 75 year old Veteran into a SIP hotel room. He was SO happy and we were SO happy for him!
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.