Google Analytics
Civil Rights
Civil Rights Campaign Achievements
- ♥ Held direct actions, press conferences and engaged in civil disobedience to reclaim our right to public spaces that have successfully resulted in a decrease in illegal police harassment and educated the general public
- ♥ Surveyed over 500 homeless New Yorkers in the summer of 2002 to document incidences of selective enforcement by the NYPD – developing the research and documentation skills of civil rights committee leaders who developed the survey instrument, conducted the surveys and compiled and analyzed the data resulting in our groundbreaking report
- ♥ Self published a report, Pattern and Practice: Systemic Violations of the Civil Rights of Homeless New Yorkers by the NYPD
- ♥ Won a major victory against the NYPD in federal court resulting in a the issuance of a groundbreaking policy directive against selective enforcement of the law
- ♥ Moved the faith community, social service providers, the Department of Homeless Services (DHS), the NYPD and the social justice community to collaborate on a plan to ensure that homeless New Yorkers in the vicinity of Madison Square Garden have access to life sustaining services during the RNC
- ♥ Secured extended hours for the general delivery Post Office (across from Madison Square Garden) to ensure that homeless and poor New Yorkers could pick up their checks on September 1, 2004 during the RNC
- ♥ Forced the New York State Division of Parole to rescind an illegal order barring parolees from entering Manhattan (unless they were employed in Manhattan) and even if they were employed were barred from The Red Zone between 8/30/04 thru 9/3/04 during the RNC!
- ♥ Developed outreach and educational materials for homeless New Yorkers, including our Know Your Rights pamphlet detailing the specifics of the laws and rules and regulations most frequently used by the NYPD, MTA and parks police against homeless New Yorkers – researched and written my civil rights committee members
( categories: Civil Rights )
Homeland Insecurity, Fingerprinting and Identification
Issues of national security have impacted homeless New Yorkers in ways that jeopardize our personal security and give the cops another excuse to terrorize us. While folks caught up in the RNC protests were arrested and illegally fingerprinted in violation of New York State law, homeless New Yorkers face this illegal practice daily. Homeless New Yorkers face illegal searches and illegal requests for ID without any basis of suspicion of illegal conduct. Then, when the ID is only a welfare benefits card folks are arbitrarily taken in to the local precinct to verify identity – even though you have to be fingerprinted to get the welfare benefits card in the first place!
Illegal Fingerprinting Of Homeless As A Civil Rights Issue, by Jean Rice, Civil Rights Leader:
As a result of the efforts of the New York Civil Liberties Union in confronting the illegal fingerprinting of protesters, during the Republican National Convention by the New York City Police Department: we are informed that New York State Law bars this type of fingerprinting of persons charged with minor offenses known as “violations.”
The CRIMINALIZATION of the HOMELESS on a NATIONAL basis continues to be a blight upon the national character of this nation, which purports to be the LEADER of the “FREE” world. Under the guise of “Quality Of Life”, record numbers of our homeless citizens are entrapped into the criminal justice system. These individuals shouldn’t be in a position to be fingerprinted in the first place.
It is the position of “Picture The Homeless” that ever since the inception of “Broken Windows” policing policy implemented through so called “Quality Of Life” offenses, members of the homeless population in New York City are routinely illegally fingerprinted as a result of which : Housing, Employment, and Voting Rights are impacted in a negative manner.
Illegal Fingerprinting Of Homeless As A Civil Rights Issue, by Jean Rice, Civil Rights Leader:
As a result of the efforts of the New York Civil Liberties Union in confronting the illegal fingerprinting of protesters, during the Republican National Convention by the New York City Police Department: we are informed that New York State Law bars this type of fingerprinting of persons charged with minor offenses known as “violations.”
The CRIMINALIZATION of the HOMELESS on a NATIONAL basis continues to be a blight upon the national character of this nation, which purports to be the LEADER of the “FREE” world. Under the guise of “Quality Of Life”, record numbers of our homeless citizens are entrapped into the criminal justice system. These individuals shouldn’t be in a position to be fingerprinted in the first place.
It is the position of “Picture The Homeless” that ever since the inception of “Broken Windows” policing policy implemented through so called “Quality Of Life” offenses, members of the homeless population in New York City are routinely illegally fingerprinted as a result of which : Housing, Employment, and Voting Rights are impacted in a negative manner.
( categories: Civil Rights )
Homeless Civic Participation Project
We launched a Homeless Civic Participation Project to ensure that homeless New Yorkers’ right to vote is honored, that people know their voting rights, including those in jail on Rikers Island– many of whom are incarcerated because they are homeless. Our civic participation team are homeless New Yorkers trained in voting rights and government accountability so that homeless New Yorkers build our capacity to engage with public and elected officials to adopt our agenda for real solutions to homelessness.
Our innovative teach-ins stimulate dialogue around critical issues and how to identify and engage decisionmakers that have power over our issues: including elected and appointed public officials. We provide opportunities for homeless New Yorkers, through grass roots organizing and political education, to utilize their own power, individually and collectively as members of the community to identify and implement real solutions to homelessness as informed voters.
While voter participation is a critical part of the foundation of our democratic system, ongoing engagement with elected officials and appointed public officials from the federal level to our community boards is critical to develop real solutions to homelessness, to end the criminalization of homelessness as public policy and to hold local government accountable for the provision of emergency services and shelter to homeless people.
We are working towards building upon relationships with other homeless led organizations nationwide as we identify issues of national impact, such as criminalization and policies governing affordable housing to develop a national homeless peoples platform.
"I believe that it was Harriet Tubman, the legendary conductor on the underground Railroad who said, “I could’ve freed a whole lot more slaves if only they knew they were slaves.” One important part of getting empowering homeless people is getting them to recognize the rights they have and that they need not be excluded from civic participation because of homelessness. Being homeless doesn’t mean that you can’t:
Our innovative teach-ins stimulate dialogue around critical issues and how to identify and engage decisionmakers that have power over our issues: including elected and appointed public officials. We provide opportunities for homeless New Yorkers, through grass roots organizing and political education, to utilize their own power, individually and collectively as members of the community to identify and implement real solutions to homelessness as informed voters.
While voter participation is a critical part of the foundation of our democratic system, ongoing engagement with elected officials and appointed public officials from the federal level to our community boards is critical to develop real solutions to homelessness, to end the criminalization of homelessness as public policy and to hold local government accountable for the provision of emergency services and shelter to homeless people.
We are working towards building upon relationships with other homeless led organizations nationwide as we identify issues of national impact, such as criminalization and policies governing affordable housing to develop a national homeless peoples platform.
"I believe that it was Harriet Tubman, the legendary conductor on the underground Railroad who said, “I could’ve freed a whole lot more slaves if only they knew they were slaves.” One important part of getting empowering homeless people is getting them to recognize the rights they have and that they need not be excluded from civic participation because of homelessness. Being homeless doesn’t mean that you can’t:
( categories: Civil Rights )
Current Work
Unconstitutional Policing Practices: Documentation Project
During 2004, primarily June through September, we conducted in-depth surveys with homeless New Yorkers with a focus on midtown Manhattan. Surveys were also conducted in Harlem, Union Square and the East Village, and a few in Brooklyn. We are now in the process of analyzing the results, which, in their preliminary form reveal a pattern and practice of using selective enforcement, arbitrary arrest, ticketing and harassment to move homeless New Yorkers out of public spaces. The civil rights committee is compiling data to issue a comprehensive report on what policing policies toward homeless New Yorkers looks like, and the impact of unconstitutional policing practices on homeless New Yorkers and the community as a whole.
Upcoming Legal Clinic!
We are in the process of organizing a legal defense clinic for homeless New Yorkers that would provide individual representation and counsel to fight Quality of Life and other non-criminal conduct arrest and ticketing as well as to identify civil rights violations for further legal action. This effort is a joint project between Picture the Homeless, The Center for Constitutional Rights, Coalition for the Homeless and Union Theological Seminary Poverty Initiative Project.
The Illogic of the New York City Housing Authority Discrimination against Homeless New Yorkers with histories of Police Contact
Having a criminal record can keep you out of public housing according to federal law enacted during the Clinton administration. Local housing authorities have the right to develop eligibility guidelines within the general framework of this federal law. The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) as enacted stricter guidelines than what is federally required. So in NYC, getting even quality of life tickets can potentially keep you out of public housing. Homeless New Yorkers, most likely to have police contact and get tickets for life sustaining conduct are arguably most in need of public housing but are excluded due to these discriminatory guidelines.
During 2004, primarily June through September, we conducted in-depth surveys with homeless New Yorkers with a focus on midtown Manhattan. Surveys were also conducted in Harlem, Union Square and the East Village, and a few in Brooklyn. We are now in the process of analyzing the results, which, in their preliminary form reveal a pattern and practice of using selective enforcement, arbitrary arrest, ticketing and harassment to move homeless New Yorkers out of public spaces. The civil rights committee is compiling data to issue a comprehensive report on what policing policies toward homeless New Yorkers looks like, and the impact of unconstitutional policing practices on homeless New Yorkers and the community as a whole.
Upcoming Legal Clinic!
We are in the process of organizing a legal defense clinic for homeless New Yorkers that would provide individual representation and counsel to fight Quality of Life and other non-criminal conduct arrest and ticketing as well as to identify civil rights violations for further legal action. This effort is a joint project between Picture the Homeless, The Center for Constitutional Rights, Coalition for the Homeless and Union Theological Seminary Poverty Initiative Project.
The Illogic of the New York City Housing Authority Discrimination against Homeless New Yorkers with histories of Police Contact
Having a criminal record can keep you out of public housing according to federal law enacted during the Clinton administration. Local housing authorities have the right to develop eligibility guidelines within the general framework of this federal law. The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) as enacted stricter guidelines than what is federally required. So in NYC, getting even quality of life tickets can potentially keep you out of public housing. Homeless New Yorkers, most likely to have police contact and get tickets for life sustaining conduct are arguably most in need of public housing but are excluded due to these discriminatory guidelines.
( categories: Civil Rights )
Homeless New Yorkers & the RNC
Operation Cardboard Box was developed by our civil rights leadership in early 2004. The RNC for homeless New Yorkers began months in advance as police started using more aggressive tactics to move homeless New Yorkers from the area around Penn Station and it was clear that we needed to organize to minimize the potential negative impact on our community and prevent unchecked violations of the civil rights and civil liberties before and during the RNC. To this end we developed a network of over 40 faith based groups, and service providers, convening meetings with key stakeholders including the NYPD, RNC convention planners and the Department of Homeless Services (DHS), while simultaneously conducting over 200 in depth surveys of homeless New Yorkers regarding their interactions with police to monitor police conduct in the midtown area.
"We don't want to go to jail,
We just want to get our mail!"
"Call off your dogs and let us go,
We're just here to get our dough!"
My name is Bruce Little, and I am a member of Picture the Homeless. I would like to say that Operation Cardboard Box is a way that we, who care about homeless New Yorkers around Madison Square Garden, can come together and make a safe space for homeless New Yorkers. We are asking that a ban be lifted off the parks curfews so that homeless New Yorkers that do not want to go into a drop in center or shelter could have a safe space to be.
We at Picture the Homeless would like to make sure that the homeless community can go on with our way of life. You have the elderly, the poor and the homeless. People pick up cans as a way to take care of themselves. Some homeless New Yorkers go to Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen to eat. That soup kitchen feeds 1,200 people every day, five days a week. Some people get mail at the general delivery post office. On the 1st and 3rd days of the month the checks come out – now when Bush comes to town will those people that count of the general post office will they be able to pick up their mail.
We just want to get our mail!"
We're just here to get our dough!"
My name is Bruce Little, and I am a member of Picture the Homeless. I would like to say that Operation Cardboard Box is a way that we, who care about homeless New Yorkers around Madison Square Garden, can come together and make a safe space for homeless New Yorkers. We are asking that a ban be lifted off the parks curfews so that homeless New Yorkers that do not want to go into a drop in center or shelter could have a safe space to be.
We at Picture the Homeless would like to make sure that the homeless community can go on with our way of life. You have the elderly, the poor and the homeless. People pick up cans as a way to take care of themselves. Some homeless New Yorkers go to Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen to eat. That soup kitchen feeds 1,200 people every day, five days a week. Some people get mail at the general delivery post office. On the 1st and 3rd days of the month the checks come out – now when Bush comes to town will those people that count of the general post office will they be able to pick up their mail.
( categories: Civil Rights )
How We Do Our Work
Educating homeless people about their civil rights:
Civil Rights Committee members developed a brochure to educate homeless New Yorkers about the laws most often used to harass us. Thousands of brochures have been distributed to homeless New Yorkers – which is at once an educational and an outreach tool. Thanks to our brothers and sisters at the San Francisco Coalition on Homelessness Civil Rights Project for their help and inspiration and to the NYCLU for reviewing content.
Direct Action:
We have had to claim our right to public space through direct action and media events. Actions and speakouts in Washington Square Park, Tompkins Square Park, One Penn Plaza, Yankee Stadium and Central Park have led to decreases in harassment for homeless folks in those areas. However, they have also sometimes led to retaliatory policing for leaders of Picture the Homeless.
Civil Rights Committee members developed a brochure to educate homeless New Yorkers about the laws most often used to harass us. Thousands of brochures have been distributed to homeless New Yorkers – which is at once an educational and an outreach tool. Thanks to our brothers and sisters at the San Francisco Coalition on Homelessness Civil Rights Project for their help and inspiration and to the NYCLU for reviewing content.
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One of the issues covered in our Know Your Rights Pamphlet is panhandling which is not illegal. In the summer of 2005 we held an action in front of Yankee Stadium where panhandlers are routinely harassed by police – even after the Bronx DA stated that they would not prosecute these cases. |
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We have had to claim our right to public space through direct action and media events. Actions and speakouts in Washington Square Park, Tompkins Square Park, One Penn Plaza, Yankee Stadium and Central Park have led to decreases in harassment for homeless folks in those areas. However, they have also sometimes led to retaliatory policing for leaders of Picture the Homeless.
( categories: Civil Rights )
Civil Rights Campaign Goals
♥ Decrease harassment and unconstitutional police practices and harassment by parks police and sanitation workers of homeless people for being in public spaces
♥ Educate homeless people about their civil rights so that they can defend themselves
♥ Include the voices of homeless people in public forums to make policing polices Quality of Life policies
♥ Change NYC Quality of Life policies to include all of the communities interests, not only business and property owners
♥ Move the public debate from criminalizing homelessness to solving homelessness by addressing root causes such as a lack of housing affordable to all income levels, living wages and income and health care
♥ Create linkages on a national level of homeless people fighting criminalization tactics
♥ Change negative media stereotypes about homeless and poor people as well as people of color that create a climate that tolerates harassment of our community.
♥ Educate homeless people about their civil rights so that they can defend themselves
♥ Include the voices of homeless people in public forums to make policing polices Quality of Life policies
♥ Change NYC Quality of Life policies to include all of the communities interests, not only business and property owners
♥ Move the public debate from criminalizing homelessness to solving homelessness by addressing root causes such as a lack of housing affordable to all income levels, living wages and income and health care
♥ Create linkages on a national level of homeless people fighting criminalization tactics
♥ Change negative media stereotypes about homeless and poor people as well as people of color that create a climate that tolerates harassment of our community.
( categories: Civil Rights )
Homeless People Organize!
From our founding and first organizing meetings, police harassment and the profiling of homeless folks has been raised as an issue. It has always been about justice, dignity and fairness. These discussions and issues dominated nearly every discussion during outreach in the streets, parks and transit facilities and during our early weekly general membership meetings - which began when we moved into Judson Memorial Church in 2001.
In January of 2002 we held an action in front of the Manhattan Criminal Court at 346 Broadway on Martin Luther King's Birthday to protest (then new) Mayor Bloomberg's crackdown on Quality of Life crimes during which he cited the Seven Deadly Sins which included 6 Quality of Life crimes such as public urination and the 7th was homelessness - which is not a crime. We picked this spot because it is the kangaroo court where folks take their Quality of Life tickets and stand before a judge without even the benefit of speaking with an attorney prior to going before the Judge. In many cases homeless New Yorkers are given an ACD which means they cannot have any additional police contact within a period of 6 months - nearly impossible for a homeless New Yorker - without penalty of going to jail - for days, weeks or months. Stemming simply from the initial charge which would not even result in jail time.
Many New Yorkers, including homeless New Yorkers, expected a more rational, softer approach from Mayor Bloomberg than Giuliani. There was a lot of anger that one of Bloomberg's first press conferences highlighted a crackdown on homeless New Yorkers - and again we ask the question whose interest are served by these policies and who does the Mayor work for?
There was a large press turnout for our action. As far as we know, ours was the first against Mayor Bloomberg's policies. Some of our members wore bandanas over their faces so as not to be identified in any media coverage because they had outstanding warrants or feared retaliation by the police.
In January of 2002 we held an action in front of the Manhattan Criminal Court at 346 Broadway on Martin Luther King's Birthday to protest (then new) Mayor Bloomberg's crackdown on Quality of Life crimes during which he cited the Seven Deadly Sins which included 6 Quality of Life crimes such as public urination and the 7th was homelessness - which is not a crime. We picked this spot because it is the kangaroo court where folks take their Quality of Life tickets and stand before a judge without even the benefit of speaking with an attorney prior to going before the Judge. In many cases homeless New Yorkers are given an ACD which means they cannot have any additional police contact within a period of 6 months - nearly impossible for a homeless New Yorker - without penalty of going to jail - for days, weeks or months. Stemming simply from the initial charge which would not even result in jail time.
Many New Yorkers, including homeless New Yorkers, expected a more rational, softer approach from Mayor Bloomberg than Giuliani. There was a lot of anger that one of Bloomberg's first press conferences highlighted a crackdown on homeless New Yorkers - and again we ask the question whose interest are served by these policies and who does the Mayor work for?
There was a large press turnout for our action. As far as we know, ours was the first against Mayor Bloomberg's policies. Some of our members wore bandanas over their faces so as not to be identified in any media coverage because they had outstanding warrants or feared retaliation by the police.
( categories: Civil Rights )
Civil Rights Committee
Civil Rights has always been at the core of our work at Picture the Homeless. The City of New York utilizes policing entities to “manage” the presence of homeless New Yorkers by attempting to remove us from public spaces through criminalizing non-criminal life sustaining conduct such as sleeping, standing, walking, panhandling, or eating in public spaces. Not only is criminalizing homeless folks unconstitutional, it is counterproductive to finding long term solutions to homelessness because it diverts critical public resources – from housing for the poorest New Yorkers to jails and police precincts. Rap sheets are no replacement for housing applications or a lease.
Targeting homeless people for being homeless, and unwelcome in public spaces, constitutes illegal, expensive and destructive city policy. It is unconstitutional because homeless people are targeted and criminalized for being homeless. Laws, as well as rules and regulations such as parks department curfews are to be enforced consistently and when they are not and their application is based on a persons race, economic status, gender, age, sexual orientation/identity or a myriad of other status characteristics then the police and the government employing them is in violation of the law. Whose interests are served by the criminalization of homeless New Yorkers?
The Picture the Homeless Civil Rights Campaign “Whose Quality of Life?” was founded in February of 2002. The principle focus of our civil rights work has been to end the selective enforcement of laws and against homeless New Yorkers by the NYPD, the MTA and Parks police as well as policing entities in our major transit facilities such as Amtrack Police, LIRR Police and Port Authority Police. We utilize multiple strategies to achieve this goal: outreach, providing opportunities for homeless New Yorkers impacted by illegal policing practices to engage in finding and fighting for solutions, educating homeless New Yorkers about their legal rights, research, documentation, media work, educating the public in general about the impact of criminalization, litigation, and building relationships with allies locally and nationally.
| "Due process of the law, That is what we're fighting for." "Public Parks are for The People -- We are Only Sleeping, It's Not Illegal!" "Sleeping in the Park is Not A Crime Give Me An Apartment Stop Wasting My Time" |
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Targeting homeless people for being homeless, and unwelcome in public spaces, constitutes illegal, expensive and destructive city policy. It is unconstitutional because homeless people are targeted and criminalized for being homeless. Laws, as well as rules and regulations such as parks department curfews are to be enforced consistently and when they are not and their application is based on a persons race, economic status, gender, age, sexual orientation/identity or a myriad of other status characteristics then the police and the government employing them is in violation of the law. Whose interests are served by the criminalization of homeless New Yorkers?
The Picture the Homeless Civil Rights Campaign “Whose Quality of Life?” was founded in February of 2002. The principle focus of our civil rights work has been to end the selective enforcement of laws and against homeless New Yorkers by the NYPD, the MTA and Parks police as well as policing entities in our major transit facilities such as Amtrack Police, LIRR Police and Port Authority Police. We utilize multiple strategies to achieve this goal: outreach, providing opportunities for homeless New Yorkers impacted by illegal policing practices to engage in finding and fighting for solutions, educating homeless New Yorkers about their legal rights, research, documentation, media work, educating the public in general about the impact of criminalization, litigation, and building relationships with allies locally and nationally.
( categories: Civil Rights )
