Police charge 90-year-old man, 2 pastors with feeding homele

[Politically_Incorrect12]

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -
Fort Lauderdale police charged three men -- including two pastors and a 90-year-old man -- for feeding the homeless in public on Sunday, the first such cases made by the city after the a new ordinance effectively banning public food sharings took effect Friday.

The first to be charged was homeless advocate Arnold Abbott, 90, who has been feeding the homeless in Fort Lauderdale for more than 20 years. Also cited were two Christian ministers -- Dwayne Black, pastor of The Sanctuary Church in Fort Lauderdale, and Mark Sims of St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church in Coral Springs.

All three men face up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.

Read more at: www.local10.com/news/police-charge-90yearold-man-2-pastors-with-feeding-the-homeless/29510268

[ArchietheDragon]

The should do like NYC and ship their homeless to New Jersey.

[Green Eyed Lady]

It's also law enforcement's duty to enforce the laws as they are written.  It's those making the laws who should be maligned and shamed.  Not the police who are obliged to enforce them.  Be angry.  I'm with ya.  But be angry at the right people.

[Tennesseer]

Key word and words in the opening post:  "after the a new ordinance effectively banning public food sharings took effect Friday."

[billisonboard]

This article looks at the situation in a more balanced way:
www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fort-lauderdale-latest-city-restrict-feeding-homeless-n231381

Undecided on personal stance on the issue. 

[Green Eyed Lady]

In addition, police don't "charge" anybody with anything - at least not where I live.  They cite people for alleged law violations.  It is up to the City, Country or District Attorney to file those charges.  The article is misleading and deliberatory inflammatory; once again trying to paint the police as the bad guys. 

Obviously, I don't live everywhere and I don't live in Florida, but I don't think the procedure varies that much from state to state.

[Artemis Windsong]

So, if I offer a bit of my super delish hamburger to my DH while sitting outside or say having a picnic in the park, we can get cited?  Buzz killers.

[Deleted]

Nov 5, 2014 17:59:50 GMT -5 Artemis Windsong said:

So, if I offer a bit of my super delish hamburger to my DH while sitting outside or say having a picnic in the park, we can get cited?  Buzz killers.

Only if your DH is homeless...

[thyme4change]

He got arrested for feeding homeless people within 500 feet of residential property, not for feeding homeless people.  At first I fell for the headline, but the more I think about it - I can see 500 feet in 2 directions while standing in my front yard.  If someone started a soup kitchen, or set up a table and a parade of homeless men came marching through - I wouldn't be very happy about it.  I get the law, and I betcha someone complained because they didn't feel safe or whatever.  

Yes, I know, homeless people are just people that have hard times, but I've been around long enough to know that some of them have mental illness.  My experience is most want to be left alone - but I've also had a couple of times where a homeless person has become unpredictable and aggressive.  We have a couple of homeless guys who often sleep in the grass at the end of our street.  I do my best to be kind and compassionate - but at the end of the day, I've got to watch out for my kids and myself.  500 feet seems reasonable.

[Deleted]

"within 500 feet of residential property" pretty much covers my entire city.

500 feet is 1 football field plus another 2/3 of a second one. It's well over a "city block".

And, if you pay close enough attention to the details... that actually covers an area of 3 1/3 football fields each time... because where the 500 feet stops in one direction it COULD start in the opposite direction like so:



Place "A" <----------------- 500 feet -----------------><----------------- 500 feet -----------------> Place "B"

Place "A" <---------------------------------------- 1,000 feet ----------------------------------------> Place "B"


So it's not a "simple 500 foot exclusion" like most people think it is.

[gooddecisions]

In my city, homeless people get dropped off from the shelter by a bus into a small square park in the middle of downtown. Church groups regularly go that park to drop off supplies and food because that's where they can find folks in need.  I have even done that before. What I don't like about it is that the park is right next to the university. There are often muggings and scary things that happen in that area. I just can't imagine dropping off my 18 year old to move into the campus. It's been going on for as long as I can remember and for some reason, it's okay.

Around here, it's legal to give money if the homeless are on the sidewalk, but it's not okay for the homeless (or panhandler) to walk into the street and collect money. The panhandler will be arrested if seen by a police officer who chooses to give the citation.

[billisonboard]

Nov 6, 2014 10:52:34 GMT -5 gooddecisions said:

...

Around here, it's legal to give money if the homeless are on the sidewalk, but it's not okay for the homeless (or panhandler) to walk into the street and collect money. The panhandler will be arrested if seen by a police officer who chooses to give the citation.

Is residency status or planned use of the funds a part of the law? I have seen our local firefighters use long handled nets to collect donations during their annual burn victim charity drive. People walking into the street is an unsafe practice for the person and drivers.

[gooddecisions]

Nov 6, 2014 11:01:42 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Nov 6, 2014 10:52:34 GMT -5 gooddecisions said:

...

Around here, it's legal to give money if the homeless are on the sidewalk, but it's not okay for the homeless (or panhandler) to walk into the street and collect money. The panhandler will be arrested if seen by a police officer who chooses to give the citation.

Is residency status or planned use of the funds a part of the law? I have seen our local firefighters use long handled nets to collect donations during their annual burn victim charity drive. People walking into the street is an unsafe practice for the person and drivers.

No idea, but I have never seen a fire fighter do that. Several years ago, I did see charity groups set up buckets in medians and wear fluorescent vests to collect funds. They would come off the median if a driver had money from them (same as panhandlers). I'm guessing since I haven't seen anyone do that in probably 10 years, it's not legal either. But, I'm not that familiar with the law.

It's worth saying that there are homeless who choose to live that way. My sister is one of them. After years of living on the streets, my dad found her 2 years ago. He set her up in an apartment with the homeless man she was in a relationship with. My dad paid the rent for a whole year while he filled out the paper work and jumped through the hoops to get social security disability approved for her. Things were looking up. She had adequate funds to pay for the apartment on her own- assuming she stayed out of trouble. She had food stamps and even a little bit of money left over for items not covered by food stamps.

After 6 months, she started getting restless, we talked her down. After a year, it was just too much. She felt locked down and wanted out. My dad pleaded with her to at least keep the apartment-- reasoning that she could still go live on the streets and if she got sick of it she would have a place to go back to- especially in the winter when it's cold and the summer when it's hot. She refused and broke the lease. She's gotten arrested several times for panhandling and too many arrests means no more disability checks. She's been aggressive with the police several times as well, even spitting in one's face. She's 39 and not a kid. She refuses to take medication to help with her mental illness. She'll go on it and then throw a fit and stop.