On the one hand, there was a meeting on campus to help people understand homelessness and that people who are homeless are human beings and to treat them as such. On the other hand, we get this headline in the Wisconsin State Journal which probably leads a even a reasonable person to fear the homeless because one might be a murderer. In reading the story, you find further conflicts. The police seem to be saying that the homeless are suspects. On the other hand, Alder Verveer seems to be saying they could be potential witnesses. Which is it? In the Marino stabbing, the police said that the homeless in the park were not the suspects, despite the public’s questions and accusations against the group. The Cap Times reported:
Complaints of homeless crime dominated the discussion, despite police assurances that Marino’s killing Monday was not likely committed by a homeless person.
I hope if Verveer is correct, they will do the same here.
Obviously, a terrible tragedy has happened in our community. I’ve found that in talking about apartment safety, its hard to find the right balance between responsible caution and hysteria. People are obviously a little freaked out and rightfully so since we live in a fairly safe community. I just hope that if the homeless are not suspects but rather witnesses, that gets cleared up soon. We have enough fear going on in our community and the homeless are a vulnerable population that have a whole host of other problems to deal with and that can easily be blamed. Unfortunately, not many people in “the establishment” will stand up for them. If someone from the homeless community is a suspect, I hope the City and County will have some compassion and take emergency action (hotel vouchers and waiving shelter night restrictions) to protect those who are living on the streets, in our parks and in their cars – as they are likely even more at risk than those of us who can lock ourselves in our homes.
Either way, even if one homeless person did a terrible thing, which I doubt given Alder Verveer’s comments, lets not blame a whole challenged population. And, if we can have safe walks and other programs to protect students, where are the programs to help the homeless who are not in our shelters?
NOTE: After posting, this article showed up in my google alerts where the police are portrayed a little differently.
Balles says investigators have not determined a homeless person killed Zimmerman.
