Anonymous
Post 06/03/2022 14:02     Subject: Is there a solution for ending crime, homelessness & mental health crisis in DC?
Anonymous wrote:I’ve lived in cities for about 30 years. The proportionate of visible street homeless (differentiating them from other homeless, who usually are less visible and crash with friends, live in cars, etc.) that are very mentally ill seems to have increased dramatically. Is it fentanyl and other synthetic drugs? The other day a man was screaming obscenities st me and an elderly woman because he was trying t give us some rocks and dried up tissues—I couldn’t even understand what he was saying about them but he clearly thought they were something else. Last month, I was walking and turned me head to look at a store window and a man started screaming at me about looking away from him and something about my ass. Last year, a woman out of nowhere ran up and tried to punch me—-but was so out of it that her swing missed me by about a foot and she fell over.
This seems to me way worse than the crack epidemic of the 90s. These people have brains that are just fried. I don’t know that there’s a solution for that. I now avoid the homeless encampment near my office, whereas before I just walked through it with no real worries.


Hi PP, and thank you for a rational and thoughtful reply.

About the bolded part:

- yes, it’s important to differentiate the different homeless populations, if we want to reduce the problem as a whole. When I lived on the west coast, urban homeless were mostly called “transients” and they were young able bodied people who lacked homes; they often carried everything they owned in a frame backpacking pack. In SF, there were actually employed homeless who lived in their cars. There are those who “couch surf” for month or years.

And then there are those most common around here: the chronically homeless who usually suffer from severe mental ilness.

As far as solutions, I don’t have the answers; wish I did. I do know the fentanyl crisis is a huge driver, and I do not believe we have been tough enough on China; plus an open southern border does not help. We need to take action though.

I will post a video in a moment; it’s from Philadelphia in 2021; it illustrates the breadth of this extremely difficult issue.
Anonymous
Post 06/03/2022 11:41     Subject: Is there a solution for ending crime, homelessness & mental health crisis in DC?
I don't have any solutions, but for PP asking about fentanyl and synthetic drugs - yes, the drugs are getting worse. The new class of meth, for example, can fry your brain in a fraction of the time that meth from a decade ago would. So a combo of mental illness and terrible new synthetic drugs is definitely making the problem worse. Here is a fascinating article about the new meth:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/11/the-new-meth/620174/
Anonymous
Post 06/03/2022 11:34     Subject: Is there a solution for ending crime, homelessness & mental health crisis in DC?
Anonymous wrote:I’ve lived in cities for about 30 years. The proportionate of visible street homeless (differentiating them from other homeless, who usually are less visible and crash with friends, live in cars, etc.) that are very mentally ill seems to have increased dramatically. Is it fentanyl and other synthetic drugs? The other day a man was screaming obscenities st me and an elderly woman because he was trying t give us some rocks and dried up tissues—I couldn’t even understand what he was saying about them but he clearly thought they were something else. Last month, I was walking and turned me head to look at a store window and a man started screaming at me about looking away from him and something about my ass. Last year, a woman out of nowhere ran up and tried to punch me—-but was so out of it that her swing missed me by about a foot and she fell over.
This seems to me way worse than the crack epidemic of the 90s. These people have brains that are just fried. I don’t know that there’s a solution for that. I now avoid the homeless encampment near my office, whereas before I just walked through it with no real worries.


Sorry this happened to you.

There are some solutions to the homelessness issue - we can end chronic homelessness, but it will take time and money. First, we need to streamline our homeless counts and obtain data - not just names and location, but how long someone has been homeless, what caused them to fall into homelessness, etc. We need to track these folks and provide real support alongside our rapid rehousing program. We need to build longer term transitional housing that last more than 30 to 90 days. We need to build more housing for those who need more closely managed care.

For reducing crime, I like Robert White's, Zachary Parker's, and Beau Finley's ideas.

For fentanyl use, other than creating safe havens for use to get people not doing it in public, I have no idea.

Anonymous
Post 06/02/2022 09:12     Subject: Is there a solution for ending crime, homelessness & mental health crisis in DC?
I’ve lived in cities for about 30 years. The proportionate of visible street homeless (differentiating them from other homeless, who usually are less visible and crash with friends, live in cars, etc.) that are very mentally ill seems to have increased dramatically. Is it fentanyl and other synthetic drugs? The other day a man was screaming obscenities st me and an elderly woman because he was trying t give us some rocks and dried up tissues—I couldn’t even understand what he was saying about them but he clearly thought they were something else. Last month, I was walking and turned me head to look at a store window and a man started screaming at me about looking away from him and something about my ass. Last year, a woman out of nowhere ran up and tried to punch me—-but was so out of it that her swing missed me by about a foot and she fell over.
This seems to me way worse than the crack epidemic of the 90s. These people have brains that are just fried. I don’t know that there’s a solution for that. I now avoid the homeless encampment near my office, whereas before I just walked through it with no real worries.
Anonymous
Post 06/02/2022 08:52     Subject: Is there a solution for ending crime, homelessness & mental health crisis in DC?
Anonymous wrote:I don't have solutions but am saddened by people and their belongings being swept away by bulldozers and tents thrown into garbage trucks. How does that help?

Is the presumption that they are just coming in with bulldozers without giving warning to pack up and go somewhere else?

I’m pretty sure that they give fair warning. I’m also pretty sure that when they do come with the dump trucks that they have social workers and other support on hand to help them pack up.
Anonymous
Post 06/02/2022 08:40     Subject: Is there a solution for ending crime, homelessness & mental health crisis in DC?
I don't have solutions but am saddened by people and their belongings being swept away by bulldozers and tents thrown into garbage trucks. How does that help?
Anonymous
Post 06/02/2022 08:30     Subject: Is there a solution for ending crime, homelessness & mental health crisis in DC?
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!"


I trust you volunteer for the cleaning duty given that the politicos are all busy on hugging duties?
Anonymous
Post 06/01/2022 22:59     Subject: Re:Is there a solution for ending crime, homelessness & mental health crisis in DC?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It's really not that hard. Prosecute crime, prosecute vagrancy, prosecute open-air drug use. Make it clear that DC is not a free-for-all.


Ha! In other words, for DC it is not possible.


I'd like to start prosecuting in-home drug use. Let's lock them up and take their homes.

Again, caffeine is a drug. Get em.


If you like your D.C. crime, homelessness, and mental health crises, you can keep them.

Just continue right on the way DC is headed. Do nothing.

Great plan dude!


OK Muriel

"We haven't tried anything and we're all out of ideas!"
Anonymous
Post 06/01/2022 22:44     Subject: Re:Is there a solution for ending crime, homelessness & mental health crisis in DC?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It's really not that hard. Prosecute crime, prosecute vagrancy, prosecute open-air drug use. Make it clear that DC is not a free-for-all.


Ha! In other words, for DC it is not possible.


I'd like to start prosecuting in-home drug use. Let's lock them up and take their homes.

Again, caffeine is a drug. Get em.


If you like your D.C. crime, homelessness, and mental health crises, you can keep them.

Just continue right on the way DC is headed. Do nothing.

Great plan dude!
Anonymous
Post 06/01/2022 21:05     Subject: Is there a solution for ending crime, homelessness & mental health crisis in DC?
Anonymous wrote:I disagree that Bowser has done a good job. Dumping the mentally ill into studio apartments with absolutely no case management services benefits no one except the landlords charging the city exhorbitant rents. There is a whole stretch of buildings along Connecticut Avenue---many of which contain fixed income populations---who are experiencing the negative externalities of this ill-considered policy. Drug dealing, fires, criminal behavior---mental illness and substance abuse leading to homelessness are more often than not linked.


Muriel "half-assed" Bowser is not the answer. Her "solutions" are only surface level and never have the depth needed to effect positive change. Homelessness/housing, schools, pedestrian/bike safety, etc.
Anonymous
Post 06/01/2022 21:03     Subject: Is there a solution for ending crime, homelessness & mental health crisis in DC?
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!"
Anonymous
Post 06/01/2022 20:59     Subject: Re:Is there a solution for ending crime, homelessness & mental health crisis in DC?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It's really not that hard. Prosecute crime, prosecute vagrancy, prosecute open-air drug use. Make it clear that DC is not a free-for-all.


Ha! In other words, for DC it is not possible.


I'd like to start prosecuting in-home drug use. Let's lock them up and take their homes.

Again, caffeine is a drug. Get em.
Anonymous
Post 06/01/2022 18:11     Subject: Re:Is there a solution for ending crime, homelessness & mental health crisis in DC?
Anonymous wrote:It's really not that hard. Prosecute crime, prosecute vagrancy, prosecute open-air drug use. Make it clear that DC is not a free-for-all.


Ha! In other words, for DC it is not possible.
Anonymous
Post 06/01/2022 17:28     Subject: Is there a solution for ending crime, homelessness & mental health crisis in DC?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We'd have to return to the model of involuntary institutionalization, OP.


Yup. There’s no way to eliminate homelessness without infringing on people’s civil rights. Many absolutely refuse help.


Yes. And I find it fascinating that it hasn't happened yet. Considering how distressed people are about the situation, and the fact that apparently there is plenty of appetite for reducing individual rights [abortion] I'm baffled why the pendulum hasn't swung back.


I think in general it is because most of the people who are directly impacted by homelessness and crime are not the same people who are advocating for reducing individual rights.
Anonymous
Post 06/01/2022 17:07     Subject: Is there a solution for ending crime, homelessness & mental health crisis in DC?
Exactly how much fascism is OK with you all?