Curfew Closes Down Public Square After 10 p.m.
In a summer session without a public hearing, the City Council passed a curfew on Public Square to hide homeless people while introducing a Strip Club district to the Flats. I am sure that this curfew will target homeless people, but it has an impact on everyone. If you decide to go to the House of Blues and then you choose to walk over to the Warehouse District after the show don't stop on the Square unless you had previously secured a permit. This does not match the Mayor's State of the City Address to create a 24 hour city Downtown.
The Coalition has for five years had positive and respectful relationship with the Cleveland Police. (Again, we miss you Commander Gonzalez.) We helped to assure that only two were arrested from the Convention Center and Airport, because of the safety concerns of City officials. We probably lost some credibility with a few of our constituents, but the City made a good case. NEOCH found we had no legal leg to stand on, and so we helped to try to prevent arrests. We built a relationship over the last five years to avoid deaths and arrests at the same time. Then, without talking to us about this issue they pass a law that seems to target our constituents. This has broken that trusting relationship we have developed.
So, remember before going to a show Downtown or a game stop by the Convention Center to get a permit to sit down on the bench in the center of downtown formerly known as Public Square.
Brian
Posts by Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless staff and Board.
1 comment:
Didnt Frank Jackson say not to long ago in a visit: "We have the resources to get rid of homelessness, but do we really have the will"?? or something to that affect?
I and some friends have been going to public square on sunday afternoons to hang out with the homeless and bring food, clothes, etc. These people are really cool people. A lot of them are veterans who fought for our country and then get shit on by the government.
Its rediculous.
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