Local News

DALLAS (AP) ― Word travels fast on the streets of Dallas, where homeless resident Billy Garrett recently heard about a place he could sleep without being rousted by police.

A downtown church has taken the unusual step of opening its parking lot to as many as 150 people who sleep on cardboard mats or blankets under the nightly protection of a security guard. Two portable toilets are provided by the church.

First Presbyterian Church recently established the "safe haven" because police in this city -- known for intolerance of the homeless -- have started removing people found sleeping in public places.

"I think it's good because a lot people are getting tickets and going to jail, and only so many people can get into the shelters," said Garrett, who has spent a couple nights in the lot.

Though "sanctuary" is more commonly associated with illegal immigration or refugees, a few churches have begun providing homeless safe zones, said Michael Stoops, acting executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, which has labeled Dallas among the "meanest" cities in the country for its approach to homelessness.

"I think it's great they hired a security guard to keep order. Most churches close their doors at night and flee to the suburbs," Stoops said. "They should be applauded. Dallas has never been the most friendly city toward the homeless."

The Rev. Joe Clifford, senior pastor, said he has no problem with the police -- just policies that criminalize homelessness. In the past few years, the city has passed laws banning panhandling, restricting shopping carts on city streets and limiting feeding of the homeless to designated areas.

Clifford said the safe zone is only a temporary solution until more options are available.

"The problem is with our approach to the homeless. We continue to approach the homeless issue as a criminal issue. While there are criminal elements within the homeless population, it is a social problem and requires a societal response."

Deputy Police Chief Vince Golbeck said he "doesn't really condone" the safe zone, but understands that the church has its mission. On the other hand, he said authorities must enforce the law.

"A majority of property crimes in downtown Dallas are caused by the homeless. I'm not saying all homeless commit crimes, but the suspects, arrested persons we deal with do have a lengthy record, and their background is homelessness," Golbeck said. "Those are just facts."

While the city and the church have reached a respectful impasse, Golbeck said other city departments may have to eventually determine whether the church has the appropriate permits to continue.

Stoops maintains that the church is within its rights.

"They're doing what churches are supposed to do, to help the poor and stand up for the poor," he said. "It's a legal thing to do, a moral thing to do and the church has the right to allow the rich or poor to stay on their property."

An appeals court last year upheld a summary judgment that found the city of New York had violated the rights of a Presbyterian church by removing homeless people from its steps. The decision stemmed from a 2001 case in which Fifth Avenue Presbyterian sued the city to stop police from rousting homeless people sleeping on church property.

For years, the Seattle area has had a number of tent cities that rove between churches, some of them the subject of legal wrangling over concerns by neighbors and code enforcement officials.

David Farrell, 53, said he sleeps in the Dallas church lot regularly. Farrell has stayed in a shelter but had his belongings stolen. He said the parking lot allows the homeless a place safe from more violent street people.

"It makes people feel more at ease and they can feel better," he said.

The Dallas safe zone stemmed from the city's "Operation Rescue" program, in which police accompanied social workers to identify chronic homeless in a four-block area and get them into shelters or treatment.

"We made no arrests," Golbeck said. "There were three we had to take into custody because they were a danger to themselves or others, and they were handcuffed."

Clifford said the intent of the program was admirable but pointed to a larger problem of more than 5,000 homeless people, according to a city census, and only 1,300 available beds.

"This has led to more rigorous enforcement of ordinances that target the homeless," he said. "This means that people sleeping on the sidewalks and different places, if they don't accept some sort of treatment, they have to move from where they are. And there wasn't anywhere else for them to go."

The pastor has called for more long-term investment and cooperation between city government and the faith and business communities to find a solution.

Golbeck said the opening of a $23.8 million homeless shelter in April will help. The 24-hour shelter would provide beds, restrooms, showers, job training and mental health treatment for the homeless.

"We do empathize, and many of our officers have used their own money to help the homeless," he said. "This is not an 'us versus them."'

(© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)