LETTER: A case of callous police indifference

I was looking out the window recently at 6 p.m. onto Fairfield Street by the Stratosphere when I saw Metropolitan Police Department officers stop a homeless girl, search her backpack and issue her a ticket. She was probably Native-American and was sleeping on the sidewalk with her life’s belongings. They drove off after a half hour.

The officers didn’t offer her any help. They ticketed her and left. She laughed it off as just a bit of harassment and playing with her mind. She seemed a little high as she crawled back to sleep on the sidewalk with a single blanket.

A ticket. This is not right. It is governmental malfeasance. This is the antithesis of public safety. When someone in a public safety position sees someone destitute on the street and talks to them, they should not leave that person in the street. That person should be transported to a shelter, a public auditorium or a detention center, so they can get some assistance to solve their problems. It is for their safety.

I know many will come to the defense of the government and say, “This is how we’ve always done things,” or that a governmental blind eye is the norm everywhere. True, but it is wrong. It is a crime against humanity.