Columbia, South Carolina has unanimously passed a measure that basically criminalizes homelessness in order to address their massive homeless problem. The homeless will be given a choice to relocate or be arrested.
If they agree to relocate they will be taken to a shelter, but a shelter allows people to come and go at will, not so for this shelter..
This “shelter” will be a remote 240-person bed emergency shelter but it is being reported that those relocated to this location will not be allowed to leave the premises without permission and there will be an armed police officer guarding the road leading to the building.
The shelter will also be used as a drop-off for people recently released from prison.
While homelessness does need to be addressed, this sounds suspiciously more like the FEMA camps we have seen talked about of late and less like a place meant to help people get back on their feet.
The city claims this is to be a temporary measure.
This follows the recent ban on feeding the homeless in Myrtle Beach.
The majority of homeless people do not choose to be homeless and treating them like criminals is tantamount to kicking someone while they are down.
(Note- Due to a small technical glitch that will be fixed shortly- the embeds aren’t appearing, so you can find the videos at the links below)
South Carolina city unanimously approves plan to make being homeless illegal
A new plan has been passed which will make it illegal to be homeless in Columbia, South Carolina. That’s right, if you are homeless, you will be arrested. Last week, the Columbia City Council unanimously approved a new plan called the Emergency Homeless Response, which will remove homeless people from the downtown business district, and place them in an encampment area. The area designated will be patrolled by the police, and the new residents are confined to that space.
Most of us would call that a prison of sorts. Whatever spin elected officials want to put on this, it’s an abuse of power. Consider this: Many war-weary veterans are homeless and now they’ll be placed in a patrolled encampment.
Here’s how the initiative, which was spearheaded by Councilman Cameron Runyan (D), will work.
Here’s an image of Councilman Runyan:
If you’re (1) confined, (2) prevented physically from moving freely about, (3) restricted to a narrow strip of land as far away from the city proper as possible, and (4) crammed like sardines into a facility designed for 240 that will have to house six times that number, you’re a prisoner. I can call my poodle a pit bull, too, but that doesn’t make it so.
Most of us would call that a prison of sorts. Whatever spin elected officials want to put on this, it’s an abuse of power. Consider this: Many war-weary veterans are homeless and now they’ll be placed in a patrolled encampment.
Here’s how the initiative, which was spearheaded by Councilman Cameron Runyan (D), will work.
Police officers will now be assigned to patrol the city center and keep homeless people out. They will also be instructed to strictly enforce the city’s “quality of life” laws, including bans on loitering, public urination, and other violations.A democrat spearheaded this plan. Holy cow. Even worse, this plan was voted on unanimously.
And just to ensure that no one slips through, the city will set up a hotline so local businesses and residents can report the presence of a homeless person to police.
In order to accommodate all the homeless people who will now be banned from downtown, the city will partner with a local charity to keep an emergency shelter on the outskirts of town open 24 hours a day. However, it’s unlikely the shelter, which can handle 240 guests, will be enough to handle the local homeless population, which numbers more than six times the available beds.
Homeless people can stay at the shelter, but they’re not permitted to walk off the premises. In fact, Columbia will even post a police officer on the road leading to the shelter to ensure that homeless people don’t walk towards downtown. If they want to leave, they need to set up an appointment and be shuttled by a van.
In other words, the 1,518 homeless people in the Columbia-area now have a choice: get arrested downtown or be confined to a far-away shelter that you can’t readily leave. Jail or pseudo-jail.
Here’s an image of Councilman Runyan:
If you’re (1) confined, (2) prevented physically from moving freely about, (3) restricted to a narrow strip of land as far away from the city proper as possible, and (4) crammed like sardines into a facility designed for 240 that will have to house six times that number, you’re a prisoner. I can call my poodle a pit bull, too, but that doesn’t make it so.
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