Homeless Abuse = Hate Crimes? SB 122 statement

In our research, we've found very few organizations out collecting data on the extent of violent crime against the homeless. SB 122, a California Senate bill that would make violent crime committed against the homeless into "hate crimes," was introduced last year by Senator Darrell Steinberg, responding to a perceived growth in the number of egregious violent attacks on the homeless.

The bill has its detractors. Many feel it would create a troubling anomaly, as it would protect a class (the homeless) that doesn't enjoy protection under current state or federal civil rights laws. Others feel that the bill, which is concerned primarily about the spate of violent attacks, would not go far enough to protect the homeless from what they see as daily harassment by local police and other organizations.

I asked for any information Senator Steinberg might have on the extent of violence against homeless in California. This came back from the office of Senator Darrell Steinberg:

No state has more homeless individuals than California. Additionally, on a per capita basis, California ranks third. As of January 2007, there are 170,270 homeless men, women and children living in California, 118,275 of them finding no shelter at night.

Poverty, illness and sleeping exposed leave the homeless vulnerable to those who prey on the weak.

Predators strike at alarming rates. The CA Department of Justice (DOJ) produced astounding results when asked in 2001 by SR 18 (Burton) to assess the extent of crimes against homeless persons. Sixty-six percent said they were victims of crime during the year, 31 percent said they were victimized more than five times. Seventy-five percent of the victims said they were assaulted, including 23 percent who said they were raped. Of assault victims, 76 percent said it happened more than once.

The vast majority of these crimes go unreported. In the DOJ study, 75 percent said they did not report the crimes to police because they felt law enforcement would not believe them or simply not care.

Recounts of recent attacks reveal the casual, inhumane nature:

February 8, 2006 in Berkeley, Maria Catherine King, 48, less than 100 pounds and struggling with mental illness, was killed by two 18-year olds after 15 seconds of being kicked in the head enough to shift her brain 5 centimeters. One suspect, arrested with blood on his shoes, bragged, “I really kicked her ass.”

April 14, 2006 in San Francisco, six homeless individuals are hurt after being shot with BB guns in four separate incidents between 2:00 and 3:30 a.m.

June 25, 2006 in Sacramento, four homeless people are injured after suspects drive up to victims and ask for directions and then shoot victims at close range.

August 16, 2006 in Los Angeles, two 19-year-olds, inspired by the “Bumfights” videos, roamed the streets of downtown Los Angeles hitting sleeping people with aluminum baseball bats.

August 16, 2006 in Fairfield, a homeless father was beaten, stomped on and left in a pool of blood in a church parking lot. The three male suspects under the age of twenty blinded the man and left him neurologically damaged.

October 25, 2006 in Sacramento, two teenage males dressed like ninjas accosted a homeless man and shot him with a pellet gun.

Targeted state action is needed to counter the alarming rate of crimes aimed at this vulnerable population. Naming crimes against the homeless as hate crimes is the appropriate remedy.

These crimes are similar to hate crimes in that the victims are stereotyped, offenders often act on latent prejudices, offenders seek thrills through the crime or feel superior to their victims, and a mob mentality often sweeps away caution.

What is more, naming crimes against the homeless as a hate crime will signal to victims that these crimes are unacceptable and encourage victims to report in greater frequency, as was witnessed after the passage of enhanced protections for other groups such as those targeted for their sexual orientation."