Across the United States, rising numbers of homeless people and vagrants have put extra strain on police officers who are trying to maintain public safety.
The affordable housing crisis is a major factor in the rising rate of homelessness, as fewer low-income individuals and families can access stable and inexpensive dwellings. Consequently, many people must resort to living on the streets, in temporary shelters, or in other improvised housing situations.
Apart from the housing affordability crisis, poverty, mental health issues, and dependence on substances all play a role in homelessness. These various conditions can make it more difficult for people facing homelessness to obtain help and aid.
Police officers can be greatly affected by homelessness. They often serve as the first line of contact with homeless people needing help or individuals reporting complaints to them. Additionally, they must adhere to particular regulations that may unfairly target the homeless, like laws that forbid panhandling and sleeping outdoors.
Capitol Riots on January 6th
The events of January 6th have highlighted the poor preparation that led to chaos at the Capitol. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., had a phone call with Sund on Dec. 31 in which she raised concerns about possible violence at the Capitol and was assured that the grounds would be secure. However, senior military officials revealed that they received a request from the District of Columbia to deploy 340 unarmed National Guardsmen on Jan. 6, and restrict them to metro stops and traffic control. This request was declined by Capitol Police and other federal authorities in the days leading up to the rally, leaving inadequate security measures in place for such a large gathering of people.
The lack of adequate preparation for potential violence has been widely criticized as a major factor in allowing rioters to breach the Capitol building and cause extensive damage. It is clear that better planning could have prevented this tragedy from occurring, as more resources could have been allocated towards security if there had been greater foresight into what might happen on January 6th. The failure to adequately prepare for potential violence has left many questioning how such an event could have occurred in our nation’s capital without proper security measures being put into place beforehand.
Baltimore Police Lose Control of Angry Mob
Just 8 years ago, when protests were happening close to the well-known Mondawmin Mall—which was often busy with young people on school days—Baltimore law enforcement set up a line in front of the demonstrators. After looking through what happened, policing professionals concluded that Baltimore police hadn’t supplied guards to this particular episode initially and also did not take any action once problems began to intensify rapidly. Furthermore, they didn’t move extra officers swiftly enough; consequently, things got completely out of hand after only 90 minutes.
The Baltimore Police Department did not adequately prepare or respond in a timely manner to the death of Freddie Gray, leading to unnecessary unrest. This serves as an example for all departments on the importance of proper preparedness and swift reactions when faced with potential violence.
Additionally, an increase in the homeless population may lead to more criminal activities as many homeless people often turn to illicit activities like drug dealing, theft, or prostitution in order to make money.
To combat homelessness, some cities have taken measures such as offering affordable housing and job training, as well as providing access to mental health and substance abuse services. Additionally, certain police agencies are collaborating with social service providers to create better responses to homelessness while helping homeless individuals.
Resolving homelessness requires a comprehensive approach that includes tackling poverty, mental health, and addiction, as well as providing proper support, services, and housing to homeless people. This effort can help reduce homelessness and enable police officers to maintain public safety.
