(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.
