Homeless Are Easy Targets

Aug. 19, 2016

This summer has brought disturbing reports of violence against people experiencing homelessness in our community. These attacks are unacceptable, and we must work now to protect our most vulnerable neighbors by housing them.

For years, advocates around the country have reported homeless men, women, and even children being harassed, kicked, set on fire, or in rare cases, beaten to death. These types of incidents have been happening here, too. Ryan Hannon, street outreach coordinator for Goodwill Industries of Northern Michigan, said there has been a marked increase in violent attacks against homeless this year.

Among them were a series of assaults by a group of local youth against men sleeping near Central United Methodist Church in Traverse City.

“The victims were kicked, and had firecrackers and stones thrown at them,” said Hannon. “Two were injured badly enough to be taken to the hospital.”

The most serious injury was sustained by David Whitney, who had his nose broken and needed 27 stitches. Police arrested two young men in connection with the crimes, and are pursuing a charge of aggravated assault against a 19-year-old from Kingsley.

I spoke with George Golubovskis, a friend who was formerly homeless and ran for mayor of Traverse City in 2013. He shared his own experience as the victim of assault while living on the street.

“I was sleeping at the West End Beach during Cherry Festival when a group of young men approached me,” he explained. “They initially told me they needed to handcuff me, and I looked at them, asked for a badge, and said ‘no way!’ Next thing I know, they hit me upside the head with a 12-pack of beer.” Golubovskis received a concussion from the attack but chose not to report it.

According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, most of these crimes are committed by individuals who harbor a strong resentment against people experiencing homelessness. Many are “thrill seekers” who take advantage of this vulnerable and disadvantaged group in order to satisfy their own pleasures. Thrill seekers, primarily in their teens, are the most common perpetrators of this kind of violence — seventy-two percent of crimes against homeless persons are committed by those under age thirty, and alarmingly, nearly fifty percent are under age twenty.

“In my case, there was definitely a pack mentality. They encouraged each other to act out against me,” said Golubovskis.

Despite popular myth, residents who are homeless commit fewer violent crimes than housed people. The National Health Care for the Homeless Council found that not only are the homeless less likely to commit a felony, they are 25 times more likely to be the victim of a violent crime.

“We have a subculture that glorifies violence against the homeless in particular, due to negative stereotypes,” according to Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University. “The homeless are accessible, and for young people seeking excitement, they represent an easy target.”

Traverse City Police Chief Jeff O’Brien explained that the homeless are not currently a protected class under federal law, so offenses against them are not reported as hate crimes.

“Don’t get me wrong – they are hate crimes,” he explained, “But we can’t count them or prosecute them as such.”

O’Brien says it’s even harder to track these crimes because homeless victims often keep their assaults to themselves.

“Many are afraid of retribution by their attackers, have outstanding warrants for their arrest, or have had bad experiences with the police in the past,” he said. “For us, a lot of it comes down to community policing. We have recently embraced the idea of a police force acting as ‘guardians’ vs. ‘warriors’ and this creates a more trusting environment where they feel comfortable enough to report their crimes.”

Traverse City has initiated police training to help law enforcement better understand homelessness in general and to prevent and manage these hate crimes. “We want to be part of the solution,” said O’Brien.

How can the rest of us be part of the solution? We can support state legislative efforts to add homeless persons as a protect class in Michigan hate crime statutes. We can engage in public education initiatives in our schools to educate young people about homelessness and to humanize our homeless neighbors. Traverse City’s recent passing of a “Homeless Bill of Rights” was a good start, but we can also advocate against city measures that criminalize homelessness and for more constructive approaches.

If this were happening to any other group of vulnerable citizens (like the elderly) we would act immediately — both to protect them and to discourage further attacks. But these are homeless adults living on the street, so the harassment and violence are easy to ignore.

Changing attitudes and behaviors are longterm solutions. The most immediate and effective way to protect our vulnerable residents is to secure housing or shelter for them. Please join me in working for Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) voucher housing, and permanent supportive housing. A housed community is a safer community.

Christie Minervini owns Gallery Fifty at The Village at Grand Traverse Commons, and is active in causes of education and homelessness in the Grand Traverse region.