WPCNR MR. & MRS. & MS. WHITE PLAINS VOICE. July 6, 2005, UPDATED July 11, 2005: A regular WPCNR contributor amplifies his comments on the homeless situation in White Plains; notes the lack of security systems at all in the Muncipal Garages, and challenges the county to work with the homeless by more flexible "house rules."
Dear John,
Many "homeless" are from broken families and many do not live or exist the way the more visible denizens of the streets appear. If security in PRIVATE MALLS is the problem, let the owners come up with the $$$$ for fixing THEIR establishment. If the parking structures are ours, we should be in partnership for more security$$$. But, we can not allow our society to become so fearful that we sacrifice our liberties that many soldiers and others died to protect. To force the poor, let alone ANY segment of the population, to have particular ID's labelling them is a shameful act and is patently unlawful.
Another way should be found to monitor dangerous people, whether they be homeless or not. Many people do not know this fact: the shelters require the inhabitants to get some sort of employment, but they can not return after a certain hour, so those "homeless" getting jobs which get them back to the shelters after closing time precludes the homeless from using the shelter ("rules are violated").
These people, many of them, released from jail with no home, no money and no job, are caught in a catch 22/limbo situation - if they get a good job, they can not use the shelter, which puts them back on the streets, which devolves to more commissions of crimes as these people now have a job but no place to stay, and therefore, no place to prepare for the daily job.
Too, the shelters are loci of crime (people get rolled there all the time!) Fix the program so the homeless have a chance and are not so angry at the system - so they look at the system as ACTUALLY being able to help them in short order. Med care at/thru a shelter is another appalling fact - it sucks and is almost non existent and takes a long time to get enrolled in (for emergency care at any rate)!!!
AND the camera system in the Galleria is for the birds - no one is watching the TV's on a constant basis - we do not have enough employees and there is no money in the system (remember the parking reserves are now GONE!!!) for more personnel and security systems. Seems everyone in the Admin are too involved in making local zoning very developer friendly and not enough attention is being given to the "common" Citizens of White Plains. Who's asleep at the wheel this time?
Note: The CitizeNetReporter questioned the Westchester County Department of Communications this morning as to whether the statement that "the shelters require the inhabitants to get some sort of employment" was true. Donna Green of the Department of Communications said this was not requirement of the county homeless shelters, though residents are required to go through counciling with the object of their gaining employment. However, on Friday, the spokesperson reversed herself, saying that those living in the circles are required to seek employment as Mr. Seidel suggests.
