Thursday, January 8, 2009 , Updated
Dallas police step up “quality of life” enforcement in new year
The consequences of not enforcing quality of life crimes have long been clear
Dallas police are already making a more concerted effort to crack down on some "quality of life" offenses in Dallas, including sleeping in public, panhandling, and public intoxication, in the new year. In 2007, the Dallas city council passed a stricter anti-solicitation ordinance, but enforcement of this and similar offenses has been difficult.
24 additional officers have been assigned to downtown and a business advocacy group DowntownDallas has hired more private security officers.
Posted by Erin
georgemaze, says:
That's cool. Lock them out of The Bridge and then start arresting them. Our tax dollars and private interests at its best friends!
Anonymous
10 months, 3 weeks agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Jason Rice, says:
Just dang confusing. They're sleeping out there because they have nowhere to sleep. So worst case, they can't pay a ticket for it so they sleep off their ticket in jail.
That weirds me out.
Verified
10 months, 3 weeks agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Pavel Lishin, says:
Jason: just think of it as renting a homeless guy a bed for a night.
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Jason Rice, says:
Yeah but if we don't have money to keep them off the street then taking them off the street is expensive...
Ok, so an overnight stay in the cooler runs $47-$65 depending on who you believe.
"We'll keep the light on for ya" for $39.99 and up....
Ouch. I need aspirin.
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Scott Doyle, says:
Not to mention...peeps handling all the paperwork, salary for the cop who threw 'em in the cooler, etc. Can we just skip passing the buck and beat on hobos ourselves? I'll delegate my portion to Yost.
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10 months, 3 weeks agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
georgemaze, says:
Educate yourselves on this guys. Read the articles linked at the bottom of this story -
http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2009/...
Many of these people would not be caught up in street sweeps if they could get in to The Bridge or other shelters. There are so many problems that need to be addressed and housing is the first. It cost much less than putting them in jail.
Anonymous
10 months, 3 weeks agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Jason Rice, says:
Ok, with a new recession on and a Demo in the (white) House, can we just rebrand them "Consultants" and ship them to Bangalore?
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jtmbls, says:
Oh who cares? Lets talk about SMOKING BANS!
Anonymous
10 months, 3 weeks agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Jason Rice, says:
So if they're smoking, we fine them AND incarcerate them for not having any place to go.
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Pavel Lishin, says:
Why not talk about both? Nobody thinks about how this ban is going to affect the homeless! Do we truly live in a free country when a hobo can't light up a cigarette at a bar with one hand while pocketing limes with the other?
<img src="http://i41.tinypic.com/b8lhr6.gif">
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Catawba, says:
What a maudlin eagle.
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