Police, City Biz's Talk Homelessness

The topic of homelessness dominated a meeting last night between downtown business representatives and officials with the Fredericksburg Police Department. While the meeting was intended to review strategies for dealing with a wide variety of nuisance crimes downtown, business owners focused much of their concerns on the operations of Micah Ecumenical Ministries, a multi-denominational charity which provides resources to area homeless residents. Businesses were particularly critical of the downtown location of Micah's homeless resource center on Princess Anne Street, complaining of loitering and other disturbances from its clientele affecting sales at their stores.

"Most of us came here for this homeless issue downtown, because we see more homeless people" said former Mayor Bill Beck, owner of Beck's Antiques on Caroline Street. "They may not be breaking the law but they are impacting our business."

The meeting, held at police headquarters on Cowan Blvd., comes in the wake of

Police officials on hand at the meeting, including Chief David Nye and officers with the downtown community policing program, used the meeting to gather input from business leaders which could be used to form a more comprehensive set of city policies to address homelessness in Fredericksburg. 

Businesses Voice Concerns In Dire Tones

After reviewing state and local laws on public drunkenness, trespassing, panhandling and noise ordinances police reviewed recent downtown enforcement programs and strategies which shopkeepers could employ to reduce nuisance crimes on their properties. Police also reviewed basic constitutional guidelines for legislating nuisance crimes and briefed business owners on the operations of Micah Ministries. 

Then, police opened the floor to comments from business owners. The disdain among the business owners towards members of the homeless community was almost palpable.

Perhaps most vocal among the assembled business owners at the meeting was the owner of Heritage Gifts, a boutique retail shop at the corner of William and Princess Anne streets, a mere stones throw away from the Micah resource center. She reported that she has had to reduce her business hours and that her employees have been harassed on occasion since Micah ministries relocated downtown in 2005. She also complained that Micah was encouraging the homeless to relocate in the city by providing them with food, and camping equipment. She also took aim at the hygiene facilities which Micah makes available to its clients. 

"They've taken in all those people, and yes they've given them baths and gotten them cleaned up," said the business owner, who refused to disclose her name to the media after the meeting. "But guess what, now we don't know who they are when they come in the store…I see a guy come in and I have to think hey, he looks like a cleaned up Micah guy."

The language used by businesses was at times jarring, at times odd. The homeless were referred to at one point as feral cats by one business owner. Beck compared Micah ministries to a hypothetical Virginia Tech alumni association chapter instructing its members to congregate in Fredericksburg without spending money in the shops. 

"How do we deal with this association and say that you are crowding us out of our town, you are crowding us out of the place that some of us have invested everything in," said Beck. "You're crowding us out of our businesses."

Perhaps it shouldn't have been expected in a police forum, but the issue of homelessness was rarely discussed outside of the context of public safety. Outside of the review of Micah's programs, almost no attention was paid to non law enforcement strategies for managing homelessness.

"I don't think the answer comes in a blue uniform, however," said Beck, coming closer perhaps than anyone else at the meeting to talking about homelessness as a problem to be approached from more than just a law enforcement perspective. "Frankly, I am offended when I hear the City Council say that we are going to pass a law against public drunkenness or against panhandling."

Micah: Downtown Location Essential

In an interview prior to the meeting, Meghann Cotter, director of Micah Ecumenical Ministries, explained that she was asked by police officials to not to attend the meeting so that business representatives would feel free to openly discuss their perceptions of the downtown homeless. In previous interviews, Cotter has made it clear that she is aware of negative perceptions for her organizations clientele floating about the business community.

"I don't think it's any secret that there are some who feel we are a very unwelcome presence in the community," "I think you can probably find just as many who fully appreciate, are not bothered by, what it is that we are doing. A lot is through the lens that you look through. We have worked very hard and changed the way we do business to cater to the needs of our neighbors and the downtown merchants."

Last night's meeting saw business representatives express favor for relocating homeless resources away from downtown. Cotter has said it is unrealistic to do so from downtown without adversely affecting the accessibility of the center's services. 

"We are located in the middle of our walkable community because that's where the need is to begin with," said Cotter. 

"The conversation needs to change from 'where we move those people to'," said Cotter. "Let's change it to 'what do we have to do to make sure that no one in Fredericksburg is homeless.'"