In Long Beach, seeing a homeless person is a common occurrence. With more than 6,000 of them currently roaming the streets, it’s hard not to bump into one while downtown. We live in a large metropolitan city, filled with people of all different financial backgrounds, and a seemingly innocuous homeless man shouldn’t cause a stir.
But he is, because this one isn’t just wandering the streets. He’s camping out in front of a church, along with 15 or 20 of his buddies. Thus is the dilemma facing the Long Beach Police Department this week. Ironically, it’s not the homeless man who’s causing the fuss. It’s actually the pastor of said church, who refuses to kick any homeless person off his holy steps.
According to a letter sent to the pastor by Deputy City Prosecutor Sayge Castillo, failure to disperse of the many homeless people who camp out on the sidewalk and steps of the First Congregational Church of Long Beach may result in a fine of $1,000 a day.
But try telling that to pastor Jerald Stinson. The pastor protests, “The city’s threats are ludicrous. We’re not going to do what they want us to do. Allowing these people to sleep on our property is, for us, a religious act.” And who can blame the guy for wanting to help those less fortunate? It’s partly the pastor’s calling duty as a religious man, he feels obligated to give to those in need. That is completely understandable, to a certain degree.
What’s shocking is that this whole dispute has actually been going on since late 2005 and the pastor has received several letters from the city prosecutor’s office, warning that the church was in violation of municipal and penal codes. The pastor ignored them all. And not only that, the police have received numerous calls of outrage from local residents complaining about “urination, defecation and littering at that location.” And to top it all off, law enforcement officials claim to have advised all the homeless people about other shelters available for them to retreat to. Defiantly, stubbornly, however you want to put it, the homeless people haven’t budged from the church steps.
There are several ways to deal with such a situation. There’s the pastor’s response, which, although it may be noble and generous, is not practical or realistic. You can’t defy the law simply because you feel it is a “religious act.” The separation of church and state was created for such a reason, and the law should most definitely take over in this situation. But then again, who wants to blackmail a pastor? That’s just wrong, and it’s not the right solution for such a problem.
Instead of fining the pastor for all he’s worth, why doesn’t the police force the homeless to relocate to a nearby shelter? That way, they will be in a safe, comfortable environment and won’t be breaking any laws or harming anyone around them. And if that happens the pastor can go back to his day job, which I’m sure he prefers. Case closed, happy ending for all.
Let’s hope the pastor and prosecutor come to a resolution, and fast, because the longer this drags on, the more attached the homeless will be to their newfound hangout.
