In all three cases, according to local reports, these men were well known in their communities. Mr. Junkin was described as someone who would give the shirt off his back to another person in need. Mr. Kissick was never seen without his dog Juno and was known for sharing whatever he had. Mr. Sharpe was described as an animal lover and good friend who was struggling with a chronic health condition and losing his hearing.
All too often, in our conversations around homelessness, we forget about the humanity of individuals. It is important to bear witness and tell the stories of those whose needs are woefully under addressed at all levels of government.
Homelessness and Law Enforcement
Although each of these cases is currently under investigation, witnesses to each incident confirm that these men were in distress. In many communities, response to these types of personal crises comes from law enforcement officers who are often disconnected from homeless services providers. Many have not been adequately trained on de-escalation, diversion from criminal justice involvement, and other evidence-based approaches like a crisis intervention training.
In these circumstances, interactions between people experiencing homelessness and police are more likely to result in the use of force than with housed people. The likelihood goes up when the individual also has a serious mental illness. Further compounding this are the longstanding impacts of structural racism, homophobia, and transphobia which result in Black and Native Americans, as well LGBTQ+ Americans, being overrepresented in the homeless population and at even greater risk of harmful encounters with law enforcement.
As Criminalization Efforts Rise…
There has been a rising tide of city, county, and state-level ordinances and laws aiming to respond to unsheltered homelessness with law enforcement tactics. This trend suggests that elected officials are taking the political route, instead of the evidence-based one. Addressing this complex economic crisis with policing tactics proves not only ineffective for reducing homelessness, but can also worsen homelessness for the person experiencing it, the programs that serve them, and for the community as a whole. The same dehumanizing narratives which blame individual failures for homelessness are being used to garner support for these types of local and state laws.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of the City of Grants Pass, OR v. Johnson that that it does not violate the 8th Amendment to arrest, ticket, or fine people for sleeping outdoors, even if leaders have failed to produce enough affordable housing or shelter for everyone in the community. Since the ruling was announced, the Alliance has identified more than a dozen new pieces of anti-camping legislation. Rather than placing this responsibility in the hands of the elected officials with the tools to meaningfully address homelessness, it now rests on over-burdened local law enforcement agencies to carry out.
But many law enforcement leaders from across the country expressed concern with the Supreme Court decision. One police chief from Texas noted that “[homelessness] is one of those societal problems that policing has been thrust in the middle of. In a perfect world, the first call isn’t to police, it’s to the organizations that can help people in need.”
A Path Forward
Our field is at a defining moment. We must promote solutions and strategies that work, yet we also must reiterate that there is no one-size-fits-all response for every community. We must expand who we work with to shut down false narratives that drive punitive laws and ultimately increase the likelihood of violent interactions with law enforcement.
This necessitates proactive engagement with members of the law enforcement community. At our recent conference, more than a dozen members of law enforcement joined with attendees to listen, learn, and share. Their attendance was appreciated, and we look forward to being able to continue the dialogue. In many communities, especially in those with few homelessness resources, law enforcement is often a necessary partner. And although we strongly believe that there are no circumstances in which law enforcement should be leading a community’s response to address homelessness, they can be a supportive partner: when they are properly trained and focused on ensuring the safety of people experiencing homelessness.
The deaths of Christopher Ryan Junkin, Steven Kissack, and Samuel Sharpe Jr. cannot be dismissed as unavoidable tragedies. They represent the recurring failure of our nation’s attitudes and policies of both policing and homelessness. To move forward, we must continuously fight emerging laws that position people experiencing homelessness as de facto criminals based on their economic status, while working to foster more collaborative and productive partnerships with law enforcement.