Spoke with the fine folks at the Tennessean yesterday and then turned them on to the good folks who continue with efforts to transform Tent City into something viable on a longterm basis. I know John and Kate spent time yesterday with Jeannie Alexander from Park Center, Big Denis Huey and Doug Sanders, then went down to the camp to talk to residents and snap some flicks. I always trust Kate's reporting because I know it will be balanced and fair while avoiding sensationalism, something the peeps at The Scene ought to pay attention to, by the way. This time around, I think Kate is hoping to shed some light on the comments made in the City Paper by Commander Huggins and do a little follow-up on the folks we helped move from the camp last year around this time.
Appreciate getting a second take on the info provided by Commander Huggins, especially some details on the type of crime that has spiked in the area, since it's a stretch to tie it to the folks at the camp with the information that was provided in the paper.
Furthermore, I'm a little disappointed that we're back to essentially square one with the camp and Metro PD, although I understand exactly why Commander Huggins is putting this issue back on the table. Folks need to realize that Huggins is a man of action; always has been if you've ever paid attention to his record. He's responding to a constituency - we, the people - and is trying to do his job the best way he see's it.
As I said regarding the City Paper article, crime statistics are powerful tools for law enforcement to use to whip up support for enforcement efforts and it's easy for those who don't know the whole story to quickly jump on the bandwagon for police to "do something" about the matter.
It's why it is so important that we get a breakdown of the crimes that are being committed in and around the area, then compare those numbers with other similar neighborhoods around the city. To that end, are we really seeing a dramatic increase in crime in this particular neighborhood? is that crime directly related to those folks from the camp? How so? Is there something else at work here that has had a causal effect?
I won't throw Metro PD under the bus here; I think they've remained pretty patient overall, and while some of my advocate friends may not agree with that statement, I would encourage them to remember some of those early meetings with police and how adamant they were for firm closure dates - back in June, by the way.
That we've been attempting to provide services to folks at the camp for over a year now while Metro PD has essentially stayed out of our way should at the very least generate some respect for that patience, especially considering that from day one, the folks at the camp have been trespassing on every bit of the land in the area.
I would also point out that very few - if any - of the other camps I've seen in the national news lately have enjoyed such a long and uninterrupted survival without some form of police action upon them.
Of course, this whole issue can be resolved by the city simply by making good on the promises of the Ten Year Plan to end homelessness by providing affordable housing units or additional access to Section 8 or other subsidized housing plans.
