Tension builds between city and homeless after belongings trashed
Post by Emily Mills on 10/15/2012 5:00pm
Tensions between the City of Madison and its homeless population, as well as those advocating on their behalf, are only increasing after an incident last Wednesday resulted in personal belongings being thrown into the trash.
According to a Madison Police Department incident report, "On Wednesday morning, Madison Police discovered a large number of items left on city property between the Wisconsin Veteran’s Museum, 30 W. Mifflin St., and State St."
Those items included bed rolls, suitcases, grocery bags, medicine, clothing, and "containers of alcohol." MPD reports that it had been working to educate people in the area that it is illegal to abandon property in public right-of-ways, but after an hour of searching that morning the officer responsible was unable to locate the owners.
"The officer then contacted Mall Maintenance staff and asked that the property be removed. Mall Maintenance responded with a truck and the abandoned property was taken to a city facility on Olin Ave.," reads the report.
However, according to those who had their belongings thrown out, they property had been stashed on the mall so that they could accompany a fellow homeless friend to the hospital for a medical procedure.
Brenda Konkel, director of the Tenant Resource Center and a former alder, contacted the city to ask why the property had been put in the trash instead of held, as is the policy for lost or abandoned property.
City Attorney Michael May's answer claims that the items in question were trash, and not subject to statutes regarding lost or abandoned property. The MPD incident report, however, refers to the items as "abandoned property" several times.
Pat Schneider, writing for the Capital Times, notes:
Police Department spokesman Joel DeSpain told me he didn’t have details about this incident yet, but also said the department receives a lot of complaints about stuff left on the plaza for a long period of time. Police officers warn people who use the plaza that they can’t leave their belongings there, he said.
If belongings are left unattended in a public place, after awhile they’re considered abandoned property, DeSpain said.
State law requires that police leave a notice about where confiscated property they suspect was taken is being held and then hold it for 90 days, Konkel said.
About 40 advocates and those impacted by the move rallied at the City County building last Thursday to protest the action.
"It's constant harassment all the time from people walking around the streets looking at us funny to other people stealing our stuff, and now on top of it, even the city people, the police, are throwing our stuff away," Heather Welch, who's been homeless for about five months, told the Daily Cardinal.
"The Madison Police Department's intent was not to deprive anyone of their personal property, but to enforce the law and maintain safety," said MPD spokesman Joel DeSpain in a release. "Chief Wray also wants the community to know that officers working in this area continue to treat all people with dignity and respect."
Several individuals have gone to collect their property from the city facility but have reported most items damaged beyond use due to being compacted and/or covered in garbage.
The incident comes hot on the heels of the passage of a citywide ordinance that bans panhandling, and controversial comments from Mayor Paul Soglin regarding the city's responsibility to its homeless population.
Soglin lashed out at the County for plans to locate a day shelter on the city's east side, accusing Dane County Executive Joe Parisi of not following proper protocols in determining the location.
The mayor has also said he doesn't believe Madison has "the resources or the responsibility to take care of Dane County's and Wisconsin's homeless population."
Photo by ibm4381 on Flickr, creative commons license.
Emily Mills
Editor-At-Large
Emily Mills is Editor-At-Large for Dane101, as well as Editor of Our Lives Magazine. She is also a freelance writer, photographer, actor, and musician (drummer and singer in local band Little Red Wolf). Originally from several states up and down the Midwest Emily has called Madison home since 2000. Contact her at


That was 15 years ago, I went
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I was doing investment business, anyway, there is still time, I asked the boys how much money is needed, the boy said: "125."
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I asked him how much money is now in the hands, the boy imagined, said to have 35 yuan, 90 yuan less also. I have carefully looked at the boy, determined he was not a little liar, then took out his wallet, took out 90 yuan, said: "90 dollars to you, be my investment. Condition, took the money from you this moment, we are a partner. I stay for five days in the city within five coach factory online days, you should not only gave me 90 dollars, I would also like to have a dollar of interest if you promise this condition, 90 yuan is now owned by you. "
The boy excitedly looked at me Mankoudaying the. The boy also told me that he read the sixth grade, every week only to go on three days lessons, other days to cattle, sheep, help mothers farming, his results did not slide down over the top three, so he Best. I asked him why they buy the shoeshine box, he said that the family was poor, and he wants to take advantage of the summer and save enough tuition.
I looked at the boy in an appreciation of the psychological, then take him to the wholesale market to buy a shoe shine boxes and various other shoeshine appliances. Boy carrying a box, ready to be placed under the stall at the mall entrance. I shook my head and said, as his partner, in order to recover their costs, and the obligation to remind him to choose the place of business. Mall within the free shoe shine, a lot of people know. Boy seriously thought, asked: "election in the hotel opposite how?" I thought, here is a tourist city, a car a car every day to live in the hotel, they traveled the next day to travel definitely need shoes polished. Think of these, I promised him.
So the boy settled in the vicinity of the coach outlet hotel entrance, his shoeshine box into a little farther away from the door, he see no one around and said to me: "Why do not I paid a dollar interest? You should know my level of service. "Puchi" laugh, this little guy was witty, he is going to give me Shoe of which $'s interest with shoeshine charges arrived. I appreciate his shrewd, they sit him on the bench, said: "if you polished bad to prove that you're lying, my investment to a dishonest person to prove my investment failed." The boy's head Akira like a rattle, says he is the best, and his shoeshine training practice at home for a month. You know, not many people in rural areas and a few pairs of good shoes, he is the one to let them shoes out, carefully wipe polished.
A few minutes later, looking at the shoes light can Kam people, I nodded with satisfaction. Out of coach outlet store your pocket red pen, wrote the two characters in his left and right cheek: "Best" boy music. Just then, a minibus car with a car over visitors, he quickly carrying a shoeshine box ran over and pointed to his face after another to get off the travelers, said: "This is my reward customer, you want to try? your shoes I would become a mirror. "In this way, the boys busy ...
The next day, I came to the hotel to see the boy early to keep stalls, he excitedly told me yesterday he earned 50 dollars removing me 18 yuan, dinner spend three, his net surplus of 29 yuan. I patted him on the head, and bless him for good. He said that last night, did not sleep Bridge, but sleep Chase Shop, but did not pay 5 dollars bunk money, I doubt how beds will not pay money? In this case, the boy smiled smugly: "I help the boss and the boss rub a dozen pairs of shoes, tonight, I also do not have money to stay."
Five days passed quickly, I want to leave this city, and five days, the boy also 18 yuan, also enough 90 yuan. The boys know that I coach factory outlet online am louis vuitton purses the manager of an investment company in Beijing, said to be and so he graduated from university, will go to Beijing to look for me, saying, he stretched out a small black hand, I have also lent a hand, the two stingy clenched together ......
Stroke, was actually 15 years.
I left the original investment in the company, he opened a trading company. This day, I'm the office boggling, because of the unexpected loss of a large number of goods, working capital is facing difficulties, the Quartet in debt payment. Just put down the phone, the secretary came in and said there was a young man of cheap coach purses about my lunch, I asked who Touyebutai, secretary to come up with a key chain, put on my desk, looking at this key chain, and I froze lived, that the above is a glass Winnie, Winnie the coach factory forehead engraved on three words: "I am the best".
I think of it, this key chain, stuffed into his palm gift 15 years ago I Shoe juvenile parting handshake.
By noon, I walked into the hotel, book a good seat stood up in suits and ties, the young people of the British Gas is pressing. His subtle smile, slightly curved waist towards me. From his face, I found little then shadow Shoe young. Tea, he took out a five million check, said: "I want to invest in your company, the profits arrived back within five years."
5 million, it is timely help!
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