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To: Senior Management Team At Leeds City Council

Stop Criminalising The Homeless Of Leeds

Revoke the decision by the council/police/BACIL - (Businesses Against Crime In Leeds) and other partners such as the Crypt to impose the inhumane yellow & red cards for 'begging' that result in dispersal orders which inevitably restrict homeless people from using the support services in the city centre that they rely on.

Shifting problems to other areas and alienating people who need support is inhumane and completely illogical.

By law, the council has a duty to advise homeless people on finding somewhere else to live. This is impossible if you're subject to one of these inhumane dispersal orders.

Why is this important?

BEING HOMELESS IS NOT A CRIME - THESE PEOPLE HAVE COMPLEX NEEDS AND IT'S THE COUNCIL DUTY BY LAW TO OFFER HOMELESSNESS ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE.

Homelessness has risen over 50% nationally and it's important to understand that there's going to be a lot more homeless following the governments implementation of the welfare reform. Young people under 21 aren't entitled to housing benefit and Universal Credit is going to cause a huge epidemic in homelessness. We need to start forming solutions to the homeless crisis rather than creating more problems.

These yellow & red cards that result in dispersal orders are inhumane; morally wrong and are deteriorating the health and wellbeing of people who are already vulnerable and unhealthy.

They are creating more problems for the people; the council and society in general. The homeless are unable to enter the city centre to attend the essential support services they need after receiving one of these dispersal orders and this is downright evil. They need the support services and shouldn't be restricted for sitting down on the floor when someone decides to hand them a cup of coffee; hot food or some money. What's sad is that they're also being taken to magistrates courts when they can't pay fines or adhere to these restrictive conditions that are causing them to deteriorate. How can you ask someone not to go to their doctors? Their mental health worker? Their counsellor? Their day centre? Their library? Their food bank? Their local 'Pay As You Feel' cafe? Their town hall? Their groups? Their workshops?

THIS IS MORALLY WRONG TO REMOVE THAT SUPPORT FROM THEM!

These people need intervention, not criminalising. They're then brought to magistrates courts, unable to pay fines and are then sent to privatised prisons for profit. This is the key problem. They're now seen as revenue for corporate private prisons. Where they'll work 40 hours per week for £12.50, facilitating operations from tenders with other corporates operating in the prison. This is slavery.

According to Professor Crawford "Unless dispersal orders are part of a wider, multi-agency strategy to provide alternative activities and venues for people, the powers merely put a 'sticking plaster' over local problems and invariably fail to address the wider causes."

We understand that during times of severe austerity, Leeds City Council can't afford to sustain further alternative support services specifically for those that have had dispersal orders imposed and therefore can't understand their logic behind this evil decision to criminalise the cities most vulnerable.

We, the people are petitioning for the complete reversal of this decision and will form a campaign to ensure that the homeless don't receive inhumane treatment from the authorities of Leeds.

Leeds

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Updates

2016-07-14 15:09:07 +0100

1,000 signatures reached

2016-05-16 10:39:31 +0100

500 signatures reached

2016-05-03 14:19:11 +0100

100 signatures reached

2016-05-03 12:16:05 +0100

50 signatures reached

2016-05-03 11:52:04 +0100

25 signatures reached

2016-05-03 11:40:50 +0100

10 signatures reached