How valid DOJ’s damning findings of Phoenix police are remains debatable.
A lot depends on the questions Phoenix will raise and what, if any, factual basis the Justice Department will produce without going to court.
But this much is clear: Police enforcement against homeless individuals is a bad — and unnecessary — deal for Phoenix police and the homeless alike.
There’s strong evidence the police should minimize their involvement altogether.
Phoenix hasn’t handled homelessness well
Police officers are in a no-win situation, thrust into a burgeoning crisis that city officials have at times mismanaged.
Clumsily handled cleanups of the homeless encampment known as “The Zone” led to police seizing and trashing people’s belongings — some of them critical, such as identification, family mementos or medication.
A court order from a federal lawsuit led to a pullback on enforcement.
A competing lawsuit in state court complained of police inaction, resulting in a ruling that essentially took the city to task for failing to enforce the law.