Arresting the Vagrant & Poor

Mr. Mendoza -

I don't think any of us are asking you to arrest people because they are a vagrant or poor. That is a bit absurd. We are wanting you to arrest people for breaking the law and/or committing a crime. We are asking that all people be required to live within the laws and City Ordinances regardless if they are ''homeless,'' vagrant, black, white, brown, drunk, sober, rich, poor, homeowner, dirty, clean, female, male, it should not matter what lifestyle they live, if you break the law there are consequences, that's what we are asking you to enforce...the consequences of littering, urinating in public, sleeping on city easements, selling personal belongings on city easements, more littering, walking around public intoxicated, selling alcohol to a habitual drunkard, fighting, panhandling, having sex in public and many more ways of behaving that are not tolerated in all parts of our city, just some parts, mainly EAST FORT WORTH!

Of course, the police are not going to witness any of these things, so my question to you is......can they arrest on behalf of a signed affidavit by the citizen who witnessed the crime?

It appears that the ''poor and homeless'' have more of their Civil Rights respected than those of us who work for a living and pay taxes. Why? Will we have to resort to some staging in the more affluent neighborhoods before you realize that ''selective enforcement'' is a reality in this great City of Fort Worth?

My ears are ready for any suggestions you may have in getting the laws enforced in the neighborhoods that house for what some like to lump into the category of ''homeless and poor,'' and others like to call ''criminal vagrants.'' We see them everyday, we see what they do, we see how they live. We want the laws enforced in ALL of Fort Worth for ALL lawbreakers.

Can we count on you to not allow your officers to be selective in their enforcement of the law? If so, what would you like us to do if we witness the law not being enforced?

Suzette Watkins
suzette@riverside-kennel.com
http://www.riverside-kennel.com


By Suzette

Mr. Mendoza, Help us, Please!

Mr. Mendoza,

Not in an effort to dog pile here, but Suzette does have a valid point, that as tax paying citizens we seem to be held to a higher standard. That being said, I will say that there has been a notable difference directly in front of our office, there is less litter and loitering out front.

One concern unfortunately, is that yesterday we came to work and someone had jumped our fence and defecated in a corner near our back entrance. We have lit the place up like a landing strip and I can only assume that the $1000 spent on the new lights made it easier for this person to read their paper while doing their business. BUT Officer Roberts and Officer Green both have been very helpful and very attentive to our needs here at Aztec Environmental and I for one feel much safer, although I don't believe our property is as safe.

At the end of the day if these people can act outside of the laws of the land and can act out without any sort of fear of recourse, then it makes it twice as hard for us to control our environment and those within it. I don't blame the police, everyone I have talked to have said that they can only do so much. The laws are the laws and they can only do what is prescribed within them. Whether that be the spirit or the letter of the law is yet to be determined it seems.

So Mr. Mendoza, I assume you have the ears and attention of those that make the codes and laws in our fair berg, I am asking you, as is Suzette and everyone else in this email chain,help us get these codes changed. Help us take the handcuffs off of Fort Worth's finest and let them put these handcuffs on the criminals! We have talked to our representatives until we are blue in the face. Obviously they are bored with their posts and want to be replaced come election time. The City of Fort Worth has a camp ground in the northwest corner of 1-30 and I-35. Seriously? Does this make us look like the great, clean city we want it to be? Do we as a city want to condone the acts of these vagrants? Do we want to allow them to be comfortable and not try to put themselves in a better situation? Don't tell me that it is TxDOT land and nothing can be done. Go ahead and push the envelope. If someone pushes back then at least it will receive some attention.

These tax dollars should be going to more police, or to better pay for the police, not to providing havens for drug addicts and alcoholics. Everyone has problems and now their problems are ours. I don't want their problems anymore.

Help us, please.

Mike S.
Aztec Environmental Services, Inc.


By Mike S.

Vagrants & Criminal Behaviors

Subject: Re: Vagrants & Camping on City easements

Please read all e-mails attached: Thank you,

TO:Chief Ralph Mendoza March 2,2007

RE: Vagrants and their Criminal Behaviors on the Eastside,

I ask all residents and business owner who are receiving these e-mails to PLEASE ?“REPLY ALL?” and let your voices be heard too. Also please share this information with your Neighborhood Association and ask them to get involved as well.

I am writing in regards to Chief Mendoza?’s reply to my e-mail dated 2/28/2007. From the start, I am not basing my comments on just one case, although only mentioning the one where criminal behavior was evident

You have the right to take exception to my comments, although, you are missing the big picture. These e-mails are not about blaming the FWPD for all negative issues that plaque the eastside neighborhoods, primarily along Lancaster, from Riverside to the west, Edgewood to the east and around the Oakland / Lancaster Corners. I believe that fault rest in the hands of our elected City Officials. As mentioned in another e-mail, it does seem as if some of our ?“Elected Officials?” are bored with their positions and some have become way too comfortable and seem as though they are irreplaceable.

You commented, that you can not arrest someone for a Class C misdemeanor when the offence is not done in the presence of an officer. I can not see this being true when the person performing the crime admitted to his actions, although having a lame excuse for why he was doing it . In addition to his crack packed pipe that was in his possession.

You also commented that you can not arrest people because they are poor and vagrant. That is not what anyone is asking of you. Not one time did I make the accusation that one should be arrested for being poor or homeless. You are trying to make it sound like we are picking on those who are helpless. We are talking about the vagrants who have no intention of seeking a productive, non-criminal way of life. You only hear of a fraction of what really goes on in this part of Fort Worth.

You say that a lot of action has been taken in our community, I endlessly praise our good officers for their efforts. But, with that said, enough is not being done. I ask all City Officials who are receiving these e-mails to please read them all and to take our cries for HELP serious. We are tired of having to go through this day after day, month after month, year after year, decade after decade!

As for my comment, I quote ?“I have called Police on them and nothing ever happens, NEVER?” I guess I should have said, nothing positive ever seems to happen. All that I know is that I have placed many calls regarding all the issues that are mentioned in these e-mails and I have NEVER left a situation where I felt that a positive outcome was reached or will come about.

Again, I ask, why can we not have a Town Hall Meeting? A meeting scheduled in the evening with plenty time to get the word out to the public and with plenty time allotted for public input.

Thank you,
Mike Phipps


By Mike Phipps

Public Forum with M.H.T.

I think the idea of a community forum hosted by the Mayors Homeless Taskforce is a good one, especially as the 10 year plan to end homelessness is drafted.

As a resident raised and still living in the affected area, I welcome everyone`s suggestions and ideas. For example, the effort against yet more liqour stores is on going, even though we lost in Court this week.
There are now 90!! Locations that sale alcohol in the area and 1 grocery store!!

We still are working on distance requirements for establishments that sale alcohol near the shelters. We are really going to need your help to push this on a state level. Moreover, we really need an open container ordinance but have been told it will be very difficult to get this passed by the legislature.

We would also welcome your ideas and suggestions regarding the Affordable Housing Taskforce as we leverage city funds approved last year for the first time ever for a Housing Trust Fund. Much, much more will be needed to ensure people get adequate long term housing. We might need to look to Austin. In the recently approved Bond election there, funds will be used for long term solutions.

Poor zoning is another problem we are slowly but surely finally addressing in South East Fort Worth. The anything goes mantra can no longer be accepted over here.

Beyond everday police involvement, these long term solutions are paramount.

I look forward to working with each of you and your ideas are welcomed and needed.
-Kathleen




By Councilwoman Kathleen Hicks