Post by Shuftin on Jan 2, 2007 4:05:33 GMT -5
December 28 2006
Ken Ma
DAYTONA BEACH -- The city's top cop wants to give the homeless a ride out of town.
Police Chief Michael Chitwood says the homeless give this beachside city a bad image, so he's going to do whatever it takes to get them off the streets. Earlier this year, he instructed his officers to arrest the homeless for petty crimes such as trespassing, panhandling and public drunkenness as part of a larger effort to push them into getting help from social-service agencies.
Now, he's trying to create a program that will offer the homeless free Greyhound tickets. The idea is to reconnect them with family and friends who can provide housing as well as support to deal with problems such as mental illness and substance abuse.
The chief says he thinks it's the best way to help the homeless because it will be easier for people to solve their problems with loved ones around.
"I will do everything humanly possible to help somebody who is out on their luck," Chitwood said.
And if they participate in this voluntary program, Chitwood said, it will help reduce the area's homeless population of more than 2,600.
Daytona isn't alone in cracking down on the homeless. Earlier this year, Orlando officials fed up with complaints of aggressive panhandling, increased crime and litter at places such as Lake Eola Park passed a law barring groups from feeding the homeless in certain areas. The city also later evicted dozens of homeless from two camps where items left behind were loaded into dump trucks.
George Crossley, head of the ACLU's Central Florida chapter, said he thinks Chitwood's proposal is a good idea.
"It's a positive," said Crossley, who has helped lead opposition to Orlando's no-feeding policy. "At least it gives a person the option of being back with friends and family. There are people in Orlando who would love to have that option."
A bus program "beats what Orlando is doing," Crossley said. "Orlando gives them no options."
Chitwood's plan is not a new idea, although it hasn't been tried in Central Florida on the scale he is proposing. Other communities across the country, including several in South Florida, have tried giving the homeless Greyhound trips. Some advocates say it's a waste of time, while others think it's working.
Critics of Chitwood's proposal say he needs to learn more about the homeless before offering solutions. They say his proposal isn't necessary because something similar already exists in Daytona and the demand for such services isn't great.
About 73 percent of Volusia and Flagler counties' homeless wouldn't need to leave town because they are originally from the area, said Lindsay Roberts, executive director of the Volusia-Flagler County Coalition for the Homeless. Plus, most homeless don't have family or friends willing to take them in, which is why they end up on the streets, she said.
"I don't know if that [Chitwood's bus program] is an effective way to resolve homelessness in our community," she said.
Halifax Urban Ministries, a Daytona Beach nonprofit that provides homeless services, already offers bus tickets for the homeless to go home or to a place where they've been offered a job. The Traveler's Aid program, which has been around for more than two decades, is designed for those who are recently homeless or ones on the cusp of landing on the streets.
Those homeless for more than a month don't qualify, and because of a limited budget, the program only pays 25 percent of the ticket price, which can cost up to $200 depending on the destination. This year, the program dispensed 98 tickets as of October, according to Halifax's data. Last year, 314 people were served, while 372 tickets were issued in 2004.
Eight years ago, the State Attorney's Office, the Daytona-area chamber of commerce and small businesses devised a plan to raise money for the Traveler's Aid program. That money was spent on bus tickets for the homeless who were on probation for petty crimes. About 29 people used the service to reunite with family and friends back home.
Jim Cameron, the chamber's vice president of governmental relations, said the fundraising effort died in 2000 because chamber officials decided to focus their efforts on building Daytona's first homeless-assistance center.
www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-1228daytona,0,982298.story
Ken Ma
DAYTONA BEACH -- The city's top cop wants to give the homeless a ride out of town.
Police Chief Michael Chitwood says the homeless give this beachside city a bad image, so he's going to do whatever it takes to get them off the streets. Earlier this year, he instructed his officers to arrest the homeless for petty crimes such as trespassing, panhandling and public drunkenness as part of a larger effort to push them into getting help from social-service agencies.
Now, he's trying to create a program that will offer the homeless free Greyhound tickets. The idea is to reconnect them with family and friends who can provide housing as well as support to deal with problems such as mental illness and substance abuse.
The chief says he thinks it's the best way to help the homeless because it will be easier for people to solve their problems with loved ones around.
"I will do everything humanly possible to help somebody who is out on their luck," Chitwood said.
And if they participate in this voluntary program, Chitwood said, it will help reduce the area's homeless population of more than 2,600.
Daytona isn't alone in cracking down on the homeless. Earlier this year, Orlando officials fed up with complaints of aggressive panhandling, increased crime and litter at places such as Lake Eola Park passed a law barring groups from feeding the homeless in certain areas. The city also later evicted dozens of homeless from two camps where items left behind were loaded into dump trucks.
George Crossley, head of the ACLU's Central Florida chapter, said he thinks Chitwood's proposal is a good idea.
"It's a positive," said Crossley, who has helped lead opposition to Orlando's no-feeding policy. "At least it gives a person the option of being back with friends and family. There are people in Orlando who would love to have that option."
A bus program "beats what Orlando is doing," Crossley said. "Orlando gives them no options."
Chitwood's plan is not a new idea, although it hasn't been tried in Central Florida on the scale he is proposing. Other communities across the country, including several in South Florida, have tried giving the homeless Greyhound trips. Some advocates say it's a waste of time, while others think it's working.
Critics of Chitwood's proposal say he needs to learn more about the homeless before offering solutions. They say his proposal isn't necessary because something similar already exists in Daytona and the demand for such services isn't great.
About 73 percent of Volusia and Flagler counties' homeless wouldn't need to leave town because they are originally from the area, said Lindsay Roberts, executive director of the Volusia-Flagler County Coalition for the Homeless. Plus, most homeless don't have family or friends willing to take them in, which is why they end up on the streets, she said.
"I don't know if that [Chitwood's bus program] is an effective way to resolve homelessness in our community," she said.
Halifax Urban Ministries, a Daytona Beach nonprofit that provides homeless services, already offers bus tickets for the homeless to go home or to a place where they've been offered a job. The Traveler's Aid program, which has been around for more than two decades, is designed for those who are recently homeless or ones on the cusp of landing on the streets.
Those homeless for more than a month don't qualify, and because of a limited budget, the program only pays 25 percent of the ticket price, which can cost up to $200 depending on the destination. This year, the program dispensed 98 tickets as of October, according to Halifax's data. Last year, 314 people were served, while 372 tickets were issued in 2004.
Eight years ago, the State Attorney's Office, the Daytona-area chamber of commerce and small businesses devised a plan to raise money for the Traveler's Aid program. That money was spent on bus tickets for the homeless who were on probation for petty crimes. About 29 people used the service to reunite with family and friends back home.
Jim Cameron, the chamber's vice president of governmental relations, said the fundraising effort died in 2000 because chamber officials decided to focus their efforts on building Daytona's first homeless-assistance center.
www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-1228daytona,0,982298.story