Social Control and Homelessness

Social Control.

The city of Santa Ana attempts to exert social control over the situation of homelessness by passing ordinances that prohibit the possession of camping paraphernalia in public spaces in its municipal code. Click below to see Article VIII. Camping and Storage of Personal Property.

http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp?pid=14452&sid=5

Examples of social control in other cities:

In Outlawing Homelessness, Kristen Brown (1999) criticizes the criminalization of homelessness for three different reasons: (a) punishing homelessness will no eradicate it, (b) it puts an added burden on the criminal justice system and its resources, (c) it provides no benefits for homeless individuals or the dispute over public spaces. She also provides examples of legislation criminalizing homeless in Massachusettes, Miami, Seattle, Tucson, etc.

http://www.nhi.org/online/issues/106/brown.html


Monterey, California. Accessed through the city of Monterey Police Department’s website, it is a webpage specifically designed to orient residents on how to deal with the homeless in their community. The website is careful to note that the police department reserves the right to deal with people, including homeless, when their activities are unlawful or impact the health and safety of the community. However, among the tips to “avoiding problems” with homeless individuals, the website lists, “Do not offer food or money,” and “Trim back landscaping and foliage to eliminate hiding places.” The language used throughout the website implies a distinction that separates the homeless from the rest of the “community.” In addition, the bottom of the webpage cites specific city ordinances. Among the ordinances cited, the city prohibits begging, camping in unauthorized locations, camping in vehicles, trespassing on private property, and loitering in parking facilities. While the website is careful to mention that “being homeless is not a crime, ” any evidence of homelessness appears to be prohibited by the city.

http://www.monterey.org/mpd/get_informed/homeless_issues.html