Is there a solution for ending crime, homelessness & mental health crisis in DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Education, housing, jobs, food and health care

What happened to the Sackler money

Tell me you have never met a homeless person without telling me you have never met a homeless person. In my long experience with the homeless, few want more than cigarettes, some type of alcohol, drugs, food, and a blanket. Education, housing, job, and health care are not on their agenda.

This is all true but I think a critical element here is that many also want to be out on the street “where the action is”. And that’s the biggest problem. I’m coming to the opinion that every city probably just needs a neighborhood that’s Skid Row/the Bowery. It just seems to be necessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why DC attracts so many homeless, mentally ill, addicts and criminals?

Mental healthcare person here. I asked this when I started working in the field. It is a combination of huge income disparity in DC plus being the national capital makes the city a focus of a lot of people's mental illness. That said, I think the real criminals are the ones who sit on the Hill and do nothing about widespread public health problems (gun violence). But sure, let's get upset about the vulnerable disenfranchised!

You're not wrong, but the criminals who collect handsome salaries on the Hill aren't pushing me off my bike into traffic, yelling sexual slurs, or sh!tt!ng on the sidewalk, so that helps.

There are ways other than calling the gestapo. For example, a port-o-potty by an encampment isn't perfect, but reduces sidewalk poop by a lot. Make it a regularly cleaned port-o-potty and it's even more effective.

"We haven't tried anything and we're all out of ideas!"

Actually we have pretty much tried everything, with all of DC's lavish spending on homeless services, free housing and drug counseling. But most homeless people refuse to be helped because shelters come with rules like no drugs or violence.

The only thing DC hasn't tried yet is enforcing basic laws like no pooping on the sidewalk or shooting up in public. We might give it a try so the city becomes livable again for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Yeah. Stop electing democrats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why DC attracts so many homeless, mentally ill, addicts and criminals?

Mental healthcare person here. I asked this when I started working in the field. It is a combination of huge income disparity in DC plus being the national capital makes the city a focus of a lot of people's mental illness. That said, I think the real criminals are the ones who sit on the Hill and do nothing about widespread public health problems (gun violence). But sure, let's get upset about the vulnerable disenfranchised!

You're not wrong, but the criminals who collect handsome salaries on the Hill aren't pushing me off my bike into traffic, yelling sexual slurs, or sh!tt!ng on the sidewalk, so that helps.

There are ways other than calling the gestapo. For example, a port-o-potty by an encampment isn't perfect, but reduces sidewalk poop by a lot. Make it a regularly cleaned port-o-potty and it's even more effective.

"We haven't tried anything and we're all out of ideas!"

Actually we have pretty much tried everything, with all of DC's lavish spending on homeless services, free housing and drug counseling. But most homeless people refuse to be helped because shelters come with rules like no drugs or violence.

The only thing DC hasn't tried yet is enforcing basic laws like no pooping on the sidewalk or shooting up in public. We might give it a try so the city becomes livable again for everyone.

No drugs - yeah, what addict is going to agree to that? Breaking addiction is not as simple as that.

No violence... are you kidding?? People avoid shelters because of the violence they face in there.

How about if you had to split from your partner in the shelter? Give up your pet? Couldn't bring your property with you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why DC attracts so many homeless, mentally ill, addicts and criminals?

Mental healthcare person here. I asked this when I started working in the field. It is a combination of huge income disparity in DC plus being the national capital makes the city a focus of a lot of people's mental illness. That said, I think the real criminals are the ones who sit on the Hill and do nothing about widespread public health problems (gun violence). But sure, let's get upset about the vulnerable disenfranchised!

You're not wrong, but the criminals who collect handsome salaries on the Hill aren't pushing me off my bike into traffic, yelling sexual slurs, or sh!tt!ng on the sidewalk, so that helps.

There are ways other than calling the gestapo. For example, a port-o-potty by an encampment isn't perfect, but reduces sidewalk poop by a lot. Make it a regularly cleaned port-o-potty and it's even more effective.

"We haven't tried anything and we're all out of ideas!"

Actually we have pretty much tried everything, with all of DC's lavish spending on homeless services, free housing and drug counseling. But most homeless people refuse to be helped because shelters come with rules like no drugs or violence.

The only thing DC hasn't tried yet is enforcing basic laws like no pooping on the sidewalk or shooting up in public. We might give it a try so the city becomes livable again for everyone.

No drugs - yeah, what addict is going to agree to that? Breaking addiction is not as simple as that.

No violence... are you kidding?? People avoid shelters because of the violence they face in there.

How about if you had to split from your partner in the shelter? Give up your pet? Couldn't bring your property with you?

This is the problem. We shouldn't give active addicts apartments where they can still use and abuse themselves and the property. Addicts on the street need to be in treatment centers. Otherwise there is zero chance they will ever get clean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why DC attracts so many homeless, mentally ill, addicts and criminals?

Mental healthcare person here. I asked this when I started working in the field. It is a combination of huge income disparity in DC plus being the national capital makes the city a focus of a lot of people's mental illness. That said, I think the real criminals are the ones who sit on the Hill and do nothing about widespread public health problems (gun violence). But sure, let's get upset about the vulnerable disenfranchised!

You're not wrong, but the criminals who collect handsome salaries on the Hill aren't pushing me off my bike into traffic, yelling sexual slurs, or sh!tt!ng on the sidewalk, so that helps.

There are ways other than calling the gestapo. For example, a port-o-potty by an encampment isn't perfect, but reduces sidewalk poop by a lot. Make it a regularly cleaned port-o-potty and it's even more effective.

"We haven't tried anything and we're all out of ideas!"

Actually we have pretty much tried everything, with all of DC's lavish spending on homeless services, free housing and drug counseling. But most homeless people refuse to be helped because shelters come with rules like no drugs or violence.

The only thing DC hasn't tried yet is enforcing basic laws like no pooping on the sidewalk or shooting up in public. We might give it a try so the city becomes livable again for everyone.

No drugs - yeah, what addict is going to agree to that? Breaking addiction is not as simple as that.

No violence... are you kidding?? People avoid shelters because of the violence they face in there.

How about if you had to split from your partner in the shelter? Give up your pet? Couldn't bring your property with you?

Look, this isn’t bumble-F Texas. There are a LOT of services to address those issues. For example, HRA has emergency foster care for pets when folks are in trouble, set up with the intention that the pet is reunited.

But also, it’s not a bunch of families with their living room sets in tent cities. It’s mostly men, from the looks of them (lots of white dudes in our neighborhood), it’s men who aren’t from DC, and lots of drugs.

I am very supportive of helping them. But we need to actually help. Mandatory inpatient rehab maybe? Job and housing services when they get out?

Just leaving them in tents is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

What do other countries do? Wondering how many seem to have much less of a problem than we do. (Thinking of Western Europe)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do other countries do? Wondering how many seem to have much less of a problem than we do. (Thinking of Western Europe)

They have public health systems that treat addiction like the health issue it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why DC attracts so many homeless, mentally ill, addicts and criminals?

Mental healthcare person here. I asked this when I started working in the field. It is a combination of huge income disparity in DC plus being the national capital makes the city a focus of a lot of people's mental illness. That said, I think the real criminals are the ones who sit on the Hill and do nothing about widespread public health problems (gun violence). But sure, let's get upset about the vulnerable disenfranchised!

You're not wrong, but the criminals who collect handsome salaries on the Hill aren't pushing me off my bike into traffic, yelling sexual slurs, or sh!tt!ng on the sidewalk, so that helps.

There are ways other than calling the gestapo. For example, a port-o-potty by an encampment isn't perfect, but reduces sidewalk poop by a lot. Make it a regularly cleaned port-o-potty and it's even more effective.

"We haven't tried anything and we're all out of ideas!"

Actually we have pretty much tried everything, with all of DC's lavish spending on homeless services, free housing and drug counseling. But most homeless people refuse to be helped because shelters come with rules like no drugs or violence.

The only thing DC hasn't tried yet is enforcing basic laws like no pooping on the sidewalk or shooting up in public. We might give it a try so the city becomes livable again for everyone.

How do you see enforcing the “no pooping” law going? Seriously, tell me the steps from the time a homeless drug addict/mentally ill person defecates on a sidewalk forward. Are you giving them a ticket? Putting them in jail? What kind of punishment are we talking about?

[Anonymous]

Prison, convert all the free housing to prisons and crack down on crime to fill them up and DC will be better

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why DC attracts so many homeless, mentally ill, addicts and criminals?

Mental healthcare person here. I asked this when I started working in the field. It is a combination of huge income disparity in DC plus being the national capital makes the city a focus of a lot of people's mental illness. That said, I think the real criminals are the ones who sit on the Hill and do nothing about widespread public health problems (gun violence). But sure, let's get upset about the vulnerable disenfranchised!

You're not wrong, but the criminals who collect handsome salaries on the Hill aren't pushing me off my bike into traffic, yelling sexual slurs, or sh!tt!ng on the sidewalk, so that helps.

There are ways other than calling the gestapo. For example, a port-o-potty by an encampment isn't perfect, but reduces sidewalk poop by a lot. Make it a regularly cleaned port-o-potty and it's even more effective.

"We haven't tried anything and we're all out of ideas!"

Actually we have pretty much tried everything, with all of DC's lavish spending on homeless services, free housing and drug counseling. But most homeless people refuse to be helped because shelters come with rules like no drugs or violence.

The only thing DC hasn't tried yet is enforcing basic laws like no pooping on the sidewalk or shooting up in public. We might give it a try so the city becomes livable again for everyone.

No drugs - yeah, what addict is going to agree to that? Breaking addiction is not as simple as that.

No violence... are you kidding?? People avoid shelters because of the violence they face in there.

How about if you had to split from your partner in the shelter? Give up your pet? Couldn't bring your property with you?

Look, this isn’t bumble-F Texas. There are a LOT of services to address those issues. For example, HRA has emergency foster care for pets when folks are in trouble, set up with the intention that the pet is reunited.

But also, it’s not a bunch of families with their living room sets in tent cities. It’s mostly men, from the looks of them (lots of white dudes in our neighborhood), it’s men who aren’t from DC, and lots of drugs.

I am very supportive of helping them. But we need to actually help. Mandatory inpatient rehab maybe? Job and housing services when they get out?

Just leaving them in tents is ridiculous.

Give them a simple choice: Get arrested or take advantage of DC's many generous social services and addiction support. But DC should make clear that refusing to get help and just pitching a tent to do drugs is not an acceptable option.

[Anonymous]

There is no solution that does not address mental health and how to force people into mental health treatment.

[Anonymous]

Violence interrupters

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do other countries do? Wondering how many seem to have much less of a problem than we do. (Thinking of Western Europe)

In some European countries, we have places where drug users can come and inject their drugs safely. It started 20 years ago to decrease the number of overdoses and lower HIV and other issues linked with used syringes. This is also a place where they can get help and socialization. The workers there keep tabs on them. We have homeless people, but generally speaking they seem in better mental health compared to here. There's more of an effort to socialize them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Education, housing, jobs, food and health care

What happened to the Sackler money

Tell me you have never met a homeless person without telling me you have never met a homeless person. In my long experience with the homeless, few want more than cigarettes, some type of alcohol, drugs, food, and a blanket. Education, housing, job, and health care are not on their agenda.

+1. Did you watch that Philly video? Do you think any of those people can realistically hold down a job? These people aren’t equipped with the most basic skills for living.