Once again, the LAPD is being questioned about their treatment of the city’s homeless population. Af– ter a number of complaints about trash in the Venice Beach area, law enforcement took to streets and seized and disposed of the belong- ings of the homeless. The City of Angels indeed.

Now on behalf of 11 identified homeless people, a civil rights attorney has filed a suit against the LAPD and the Department of Public Works for confiscating “un- attended” belongings. Among the items seized were birth certificates, prescription medicine, food stamp eligibility cards and even money. Even as bystanders watched, the police proceeded to seize and conveniently take the items to the city landfill.

The people of Los Angeles have the right to clean streets, but it is not the job of the police department to clean them. Police officers were wrong to believe that the belongings confiscated, especially legal documents, were trash. The items confiscated were not a danger to the public’s health or safety, nor were they abandoned trash, as witnesses attest.

The suit brought up against the LAPD and the Department of Public Works is fair. Many of these items are important to any person’s basic survival needs. In grade school we were all taught about the Constitution; we were taught that it’s the supreme law of the United States. The Fourth Amendment of the Con- stitution protects the people from unreasonable search and seizures. How can something so basic and important be understood by grade school students but not by the people who we trust to uphold it?

The city is no longer allowed to confiscate the belongings of the homeless in the downtown skid row area. This rule should apply everywhere. Taking the belongings of any person, homeless or not, without reason or permission is considered stealing.

Public health and safety is an important concern, but it was handled the wrong way. If it is truly trash the residents are worried about, then they should probably bring the issue to the Bureau of Sanitation. Perhaps they could just hire the homeless to clean the streets!

There have been numerous issues regarding the city’s treat- ment of their homeless population over the years. These problems are only smaller parts of bigger issues regarding the homeless popula– tion as well as law enforcement. Even though it would be difficult to come up with a solution that pleases everyone, it would be best if they all found common ground. A resolution can be made without violating the rights of the people.