On January 1st 2015 conducted at the 14th Annual House the Homeless Thermal Underwear Distribution Party. This survey was offered to all people experiencing homelessness in attendance.
Total 277 people responded to the Survey.
1) Male: 228 Female: 46 Transgender: 3
2) Age: 45.6
3) How long have you been homeless all together? 9.49 years
3b) How long have you been homeless in Austin, Texas? 6.24 years
4) Have you ever been told to move along by police without giving you an opportunity to comment?
Yes: 170 No: 88
People were denied an opportunity to comment before being moved along at a rate of about 2:1.
5) Has a Police Officer ever given you a ticket for sitting or lying down even though you told them you were disabled or too sick to move?
Yes:120 No 140 Note. This in violation of the City of Austin, TX, law for which Police Procedures have been written. Every police officer in the downtown area has been trained in the enforcement of the No Sit/No Lie ordinance and it’s language that brings Austin’s ordinance in compliance with the American’s With Disabilities Act, law.
6) As a Disabled person, did you always get a 30 minute warning period, before being ticketed for sitting or lying down?
Yes: 29 No: 156 N/A: 97.
This is in violation of the City of Austin, No Sit/No Lie ordinance and the Americans with Disabilities Act, Law. See #5 above.
7) Have you ever had your ID taken by police and not returned?
Yes: 92 No: 183 Approximately 1/3rd of all people surveyed had their identification permanently taken from them by the police. Note. Replacing photo ID costs time and money. These people are homeless and without money.
8) Have you ever had your things taken by police without giving you a receipt and the name of a contact person to get your things back?
Yes: 125 No: 152 A little less than half the folks answering the question reported improper impounding practices conducted by officers of the Austin Police department.
9) Did you ever get a ticket, go to court, then be told your ticket is not in the system yet and you would have to return?
Yes: 123 No: 118 N/A: 36 Half the people receiving tickets found the Community Court system which is supposedly designed to “aid” people; actually hinders their ability to change their condition of being homeless.
10) Do you feel that the police are there to help you or control you?
Help: 47 Control: 190 Both: 38 (write in) By 4 to 1, people felt that the police were not helping them, but rather controlling them. At the same time, 38 people voluntarily wrote in that the police were both helping and controlling.
Unsolicited Comments:
General Comment: “Ticketing the homeless for sitting @ the homeless drop in center should be a crime.”
General comment: “Dear Police: Keep clearing the streets of drug users and drug dealers.”
7) Have you ever had your ID taken by police and not returned? Comment: “ 3 Times!”
8) Have you ever had your things taken by police without giving you a receipt and the name of a contact person to get your things back? Comment: “ 5 times.”
Additional person’s Comment: “ $12,000.00 tools and truck.”
Additional person’s Comment: “Lots of times.”
10) Do you feel that the police are there to help or control you? Comment: “They abuse power.”
Additional person’s Comment: “They are on a power trip!”
Additional person’s Comment: “They are looking for any excuse to shake people down for drugs or whatever and in the process are violating people’s rights.”
10) Do you feel that the police are there to help you or control you?
Comment: “Control…if you are black.”
Additional person’s Comment: “Black people.”
