Thoughts on Broken Windows Policing

Response to New York Post Editorial
“Keep On Cracking Down”

The Illegal, UNCONSTITUTIONAL Aspects Of New York Cities “Broken Windows Policing”,
Jean Rice, Civil Rights Committee: Picture The Homeless

After reading the editorial in the New York Post entitled “Keep On Cracking Down”, I paused to wonder why certain facts that are a matter of public record were omitted (left out).

Just last week on the editorial page of the New York Times (Sunday March 25th, 2007) there appeared an article entitled “ The Homeless Maze”. Wherein it was stated that the homeless population of our city has gone up considerably , with the number of homeless families reaching a new high.”

Lets factor in the climate in our area for this time of year, when more homeless persons are able to survive within the public domain ------How does articles like “Keep On Cracking Down “ impact upon this situation, what is the intended message ? What does it mean?

Pursuant to overzealous enforcement of “ Broken Windows” policing, there have been serious Civil Rights violations of law abiding citizens of New York City, who happen to belong to the homeless population!

It is perplexing to note that although a federal district judge has issued a mandate stating “PANHANDLING” public solictitation isn’t illegal per se ; members of this cities police Dept. have deemed themselves above the edict of the FEDERAL JUDICIARY and illegally, unconstitutionally , insisted upon treating this activity as both illegal and anti-social. As a result our city has had to pay thousands of tax dollars in punitive damages, even as these practices erode respect for the law, and moved our entire city ever closer to a POLICE STATE! DEAR POST, DO WE KEEP ON CRACKING DOWN?

Also in blatant violation of New York State Law; thousands of homeless New Yorkers , while being detained for so called “Quality Of Life” VIOLATIONS have been ILLEGALLY fingerprinted and as a result deemed undesirable for public housing, as well as employment

We at Picture The Homeless, firmly believe that if the so called “Broken Windows” theory of policing were internalized , we would have less illegal police misconduct, and less mobbed-up , racist police officers.

As a result, our overall society would become freer and more democratic and therefore would exist for the COMMON GOOD as opposed to existing for the continued comfort and pleasure of the self appointed elite, status-quo, who hold themselves above the rule of law.