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To: Councillor Randolph Conteh

Stoke-on-Trent City Council, stop persecuting the homeless

(1) scrap plans to fine the homeless

(2)provide funding to homeless shelters to manage homelessness throughout this winter

Why is this important?

Stoke-on-Trent has the dubious distinction of being called the Monkey Dust capital of the U.K. A blite on the reputation and economy of Stoke-on-Trent.

We the undersigned, are disgusted and ashamed that Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Staffordshire Police, rather than tackling the supply and use of drugs and other street crimes, are focusing on the homeless and fining them £100.

This proposal is not only sadistic but increases the pressure on the police, courts, probation services as well as council resources, during a time of peak demand and will do nothing to reduce genuine homelesses.

We demand that as the Councillor responsible for Communities, you take immediate action to stop the persecution of the most vulnerable people in our city and drop plans to fine the genuinely homeless.

This is the second year in a row that Stoke-on-Trent City Council has attempted to victimise the homeless and profit from their misfortune In a move so disgusting that Scrooge himself would be ashamed by it.

Homelessness will not end by hiding the problem nor profiting from their misery but by acting with compassion, decency and vision.

To be clear, we have no objection to the prosecution of criminals, who feign homelessness to take advantage of the public or aggressively beg for money, however, we seek an acceptance and protection for the genuine homeless.

How it will be delivered

To e-mail the completed petition to Councillor Conteh to be considered as part of the consultation regarding the policy. Updates will be posted both to this site and to the Facebook page.

Stoke-on-Trent

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Links

Updates

2018-11-06 16:14:48 +0000

Still awaiting for an official response.

2018-10-23 19:25:23 +0100

Stoke-on-Trent City Council acknowledge petition receipt.
See the Facebook page to read the full acknowledgement.

2018-10-19 12:36:53 +0100

This is the letter that went to Councillor Conteh a few moments ago, with our petition.

2018-10-18 21:58:38 +0100

My plan to deliver the petition via e-mail tomorrow. I will then post updates here and on the 38 Degrees website only. Any correspondence from Councillor Conteh or the Council generally will also be posted.

I wish you all a good night and thank you again, for your continued support.

Dave

2018-10-18 16:49:22 +0100

It's your final chance to sign our petition and join 1242 people, demanding that Stoke-on-Trent City Council drop plans to fine the genuinely homeless.

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stoke-on-trent-city-council-stop-persecuting-the-homeless

2018-10-17 17:57:55 +0100

We now have a phenomenal 1242 signatures. I will be submitting our petition on Friday afternoon. Please, can I ask you all to ask your family and friends to sign our petition.

2018-10-12 16:05:18 +0100

We now have 1214 signatures on our petition. Please, join us at https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stoke-on-trent-city-council-stop-persecuting-the-homeless

2018-10-11 22:57:19 +0100

After some inertia, we just smashed 1200 signatures!

2018-10-11 20:27:27 +0100

We currently have 1187 signatures on our petition. We would like to submit our petition next Friday. So, can you join us in a final push for signatures by asking your friends, family and wider social networks to sign the petition.
I will post updates on here, Facebook and Twitter from when the petition is delivered.

In anticipation of your continued support.

Dave

2018-10-11 17:14:02 +0100

Our current total is 1165 signatures.

2018-10-11 17:13:14 +0100

On a related note independent of our campaign, The Sentinel's Martin Tideswell posted this on Facebook, yesterday.

https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/revealed-35m-homelessness-hub-support-2087496

2018-10-10 11:22:18 +0100

1,152 people join our petition demanding Stoke Council drop plans to fine the homeless.

(link: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stoke-on-trent-city-council-stop-persecuting-the-homeless) you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stok…

#WorldHomelessDay
#WMHD2018
#homelessness
#Homeless

2018-10-08 16:28:43 +0100

We're up to 1,100 signatures. Thank you :)

2018-10-07 18:39:37 +0100

Remember, our campaign is about people by the people. Please, ask your family, friends and wider social networks to sign our petition and ask their friends to join us too.
Our campaign is about basic right and wrong and is open to all people, of all backgrounds who share a shared value of decency and common sense.

2018-10-07 15:48:49 +0100

We now have 1076 signatures towards our next goal of 2,000.