Someone has started sleeping on the sidewalk next to our house

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's illegal. Call the cops.

Section 22-1307 of the DC Code is the District’s Blocking Passage statute. This law gives MPD officers the authority to prevent crowding, obstructing, or incommoding of public spaces. According to this statute, which was effective June 11, 2013, it is unlawful for one or more persons to crowd, obstruct, or incommode “(A) the use of any street, avenue, alley, road, highway, or sidewalk; (B) the entrance of any public or private building or enclosure; (C) the use of or passage through any public building or public conveyance; or (D) the passage through or within any park or reservation.” MPD officers are required to issue a move along order instructing any person who violates the above statute to cease doing so prior to issuing a citation. The law does not require proof that the person engaging in the activity actually “breached the peace.” Duffee v. D.C., 93 A.3d 1273, 1275 (D.C. 2014)

Congrats, you're part of the problem. Shipping him off to jail is a) counter productive and b) more expensive than housing.

He should be removed. He should not be taken to jail. My children have watched people sh*tting in the alley and doing drugs on the way to school these past two years because of your misplaced attitude. Caring about people and wanting them to be treated humanely doesn't mean letting people live and defecate and do drugs in the streets. That drags the entire society down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would watch and move their things when they are gone. And call the police/behavior health/shelter emergency line constantly. I’m all for supporting people but not allowing a homeless encampment to be established by my fence. Because it will never go away. They can camp beneath an underpass or on a median - not on a residential corner.

Don't touch their stuff. That's not legal.

it’s not illegal to move trash/stuff people leave on sidewalks. also, I don’t care. point is you must demonstrate that this corner is not a friendly place to take over. they will find someplace else. if you’re naive and do nothing you’ll end up with an entire encampment in front of your house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would watch and move their things when they are gone. And call the police/behavior health/shelter emergency line constantly. I’m all for supporting people but not allowing a homeless encampment to be established by my fence. Because it will never go away. They can camp beneath an underpass or on a median - not on a residential corner.

Don't touch their stuff. That's not legal.

it’s not illegal to move trash/stuff people leave on sidewalks. also, I don’t care. point is you must demonstrate that this corner is not a friendly place to take over. they will find someplace else. if you’re naive and do nothing you’ll end up with an entire encampment in front of your house.

OP, ignore posters saying to move things. Call 311.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would watch and move their things when they are gone. And call the police/behavior health/shelter emergency line constantly. I’m all for supporting people but not allowing a homeless encampment to be established by my fence. Because it will never go away. They can camp beneath an underpass or on a median - not on a residential corner.

Don't touch their stuff. That's not legal.

it’s not illegal to move trash/stuff people leave on sidewalks. also, I don’t care. point is you must demonstrate that this corner is not a friendly place to take over. they will find someplace else. if you’re naive and do nothing you’ll end up with an entire encampment in front of your house.

OP, ignore posters saying to move things. Call 311.

why? if they move away and leave a pile of trash, it’s fair game. I’m sure they understand that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would watch and move their things when they are gone. And call the police/behavior health/shelter emergency line constantly. I’m all for supporting people but not allowing a homeless encampment to be established by my fence. Because it will never go away. They can camp beneath an underpass or on a median - not on a residential corner.

You are not a good person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's illegal. Call the cops.

Section 22-1307 of the DC Code is the District’s Blocking Passage statute. This law gives MPD officers the authority to prevent crowding, obstructing, or incommoding of public spaces. According to this statute, which was effective June 11, 2013, it is unlawful for one or more persons to crowd, obstruct, or incommode “(A) the use of any street, avenue, alley, road, highway, or sidewalk; (B) the entrance of any public or private building or enclosure; (C) the use of or passage through any public building or public conveyance; or (D) the passage through or within any park or reservation.” MPD officers are required to issue a move along order instructing any person who violates the above statute to cease doing so prior to issuing a citation. The law does not require proof that the person engaging in the activity actually “breached the peace.” Duffee v. D.C., 93 A.3d 1273, 1275 (D.C. 2014)

Those laws are likely unconstitutional https://www.npr.org/2019/12/16/788435163/supreme-court-wont-hear-case-to-ticket-homeless-for-sleeping-in-public-spaces and probably won’t be enforced

The 9th Circuit has no jurisdiction over DC and MPD already has a policy framework in place for enforcement. So everything you've posted is irrelevant.
https://policecomplaints.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/office%20of%20police%20complaints/publication/attachments/Blocking%20Passage%20Report.FINAL_.pdf

This.plus all lawyers know the Ninth Circus is ridiculous and also the most frequently reversed Circuit.

[Anonymous]

The right answer is to call one of the non-profit organizations that work with housing insecure people in the city. They can advise you on next steps and may be able to assist the person directly. A lot depends on details, like their medical condition, how long they have been on the street, their age, and their family status. It is understandable to be concerned about them being there long term, but there are kind and thoughtful ways to handle it. Remember they are a person, just like you. Try to treat them the way you would like to be treated if you were in a similar situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't touch their stuff. Call the cops. MPD will know who to contact.

The should also know whom to contact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would watch and move their things when they are gone. And call the police/behavior health/shelter emergency line constantly. I’m all for supporting people but not allowing a homeless encampment to be established by my fence. Because it will never go away. They can camp beneath an underpass or on a median - not on a residential corner.

Don't touch their stuff. That's not legal.

it’s not illegal to move trash/stuff people leave on sidewalks. also, I don’t care. point is you must demonstrate that this corner is not a friendly place to take over. they will find someplace else. if you’re naive and do nothing you’ll end up with an entire encampment in front of your house.

This is not true and is not how property law works. The only legal thing you can do if you remove their things is to take it to a police station to be claimed. However, it is better to not do that as you have no reasonable belief that the property has been abandoned/lost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The right answer is to call one of the non-profit organizations that work with housing insecure people in the city. They can advise you on next steps and may be able to assist the person directly. A lot depends on details, like their medical condition, how long they have been on the street, their age, and their family status. It is understandable to be concerned about them being there long term, but there are kind and thoughtful ways to handle it. Remember they are a person, just like you. Try to treat them the way you would like to be treated if you were in a similar situation.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would watch and move their things when they are gone. And call the police/behavior health/shelter emergency line constantly. I’m all for supporting people but not allowing a homeless encampment to be established by my fence. Because it will never go away. They can camp beneath an underpass or on a median - not on a residential corner.

You are not a good person.

naively allowing a homeless encampment to grow in front of your house is not being a good person. it’s being naive and hurting yourself and your family, and not helping anyone. it some cases it’s hurting people because it becomes a loci of drug dealing and crime.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would watch and move their things when they are gone. And call the police/behavior health/shelter emergency line constantly. I’m all for supporting people but not allowing a homeless encampment to be established by my fence. Because it will never go away. They can camp beneath an underpass or on a median - not on a residential corner.

Don't touch their stuff. That's not legal.

it’s not illegal to move trash/stuff people leave on sidewalks. also, I don’t care. point is you must demonstrate that this corner is not a friendly place to take over. they will find someplace else. if you’re naive and do nothing you’ll end up with an entire encampment in front of your house.

This is not true and is not how property law works. The only legal thing you can do if you remove their things is to take it to a police station to be claimed. However, it is better to not do that as you have no reasonable belief that the property has been abandoned/lost.

ok sure, put it in a bag and take it to a police station. nobody can leave junk on public sidewalks and expect it to remain there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The right answer is to call one of the non-profit organizations that work with housing insecure people in the city. They can advise you on next steps and may be able to assist the person directly. A lot depends on details, like their medical condition, how long they have been on the street, their age, and their family status. It is understandable to be concerned about them being there long term, but there are kind and thoughtful ways to handle it. Remember they are a person, just like you. Try to treat them the way you would like to be treated if you were in a similar situation.

+1

next step: enjoy the tent city outside your door as your unhoused new neighbors decline all assistance!

[Anonymous]

OP here. Lots of good points and good ideas -- thank you. I will call one of the non profits you guys mentioned and go from there. Hopefully they'll be able to send someone to help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Lots of good points and good ideas -- thank you. I will call one of the non profits you guys mentioned and go from there. Hopefully they'll be able to send someone to help.

don't wait.