Phoenix used police to handle homelessness. It was a waste of their time

How valid DOJ’s damning findings of Phoenix police are remains debatable.

A lot depends on the questions Phoenix will raise and what, if any, factual basis the Justice Department will produce without going to court.

But this much is clear: Police enforcement against homeless individuals is a bad — and unnecessary — deal for Phoenix police and the homeless alike.

There’s strong evidence the police should minimize their involvement altogether.

Phoenix hasn't handled homelessness well

Police officers are in a no-win situation, thrust into a burgeoning crisis that city officials have at times mismanaged.

Clumsily handled cleanups of the homeless encampment known as “The Zone” led to police seizing and trashing people’s belongings — some of them critical, such as identification, family mementos or medication.

A court order from a federal lawsuit led to a pullback on enforcement.

A competing lawsuit in state court complained of police inaction, resulting in a ruling that essentially took the city to task for failing to enforce the law.

The Justice Department’s report takes the issue to another level, alleging that the police department unconstitutionally detains and arrests homeless people. In some cases, DOJ contends, officers falsely claim that individuals obstruct sidewalks and alleys.

On that front, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled today that enforcement against sleeping or camping in public spaces does not violate the Constitution against cruel and unusual punishment.

Many cities, including Phoenix, have shied away from aggressive enforcement because of an appellate court ruling that had been in place for years.

The ruling provides greater clarity on how far cities can go, although it won’t likely settle the debate about whether criminalizing behaviors of homeless people is effective or necessary.

Police alone can't fix a humanitarian crisis

Regardless, Phoenix police involvement with the homeless population appears a poor use of officers’ time.

If the statistics cited by DOJ are correct — and they should be, given that they were provided by Phoenix police — homeless people account for more than 1 in 3 of all arrests on misdemeanors and citations over a six-year stretch ending in March 2022.

That’s a staggering percentage, given that there are roughly 10,000 homeless individuals in a county of more than 4.5 million people .

A disproportionate use of police resources on a largely humanitarian crisis.

Even those least sympathetic to the plight of homeless people will concede that a majority of the crimes are of the minor variety — trespassing, public urination, blocking the sidewalk and drug use.

How far will Phoenix go: To crack down on homeless camps?

Phoenix is already beginning to devote more services for special populations who often get rolled into the judicial system, and not just those who are unsheltered.

Witness greater investments in crisis intervention teams, in particular for those with behaviorial health problems (another population that DOJ concludes is subjected to unconstitutional treatment by Phoenix police).

A civilian force could do just as well

There's no reason why more civilian positions, or even private contractors, cannot be used to watch over the homeless — much the same way Phoenix has hired park rangers to patrol city parks , which face similar challenges with homeless people.

The civilian patrol force can still tap police and fire (for medical) services for more serious situations.

Whatever settlement Phoenix eventually reaches with the Justice Department will surely siphon money from basic police operations.

Now’s as good an opportunity as any for the city and its police force to reexamine th‏eir handling of people living on the streets.

Reach Abe Kwok at akwok@azcentral.com . On X, formerly Twitter: @abekwok .

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix used police to handle homelessness. It was a waste of their time