St. Petersburg explores program to make downtown cleaner, safer
City and downtown officials pitched a program to clean sidewalks and remove graffiti, pay safety ambassadors to collaborate with local police and build relationships with people living on the street to better connect them with mental health and housing resources.
'I know there's a speculation that somehow this is an anti-homeless initiative, but it absolutely is not,' said Jason Mathis, CEO of the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership, a private nonprofit company that supports urban redevelopment projects. 'Your housing status doesn't make it that you want a less clean or more clean downtown.'
The so-called Clean & Safe Program is not intended to discourage homeless people from being downtown, but instead help them find resources and housing options, Mathis said.
Mathis proposed a pilot project focused on high traffic areas such as downtown, Beach Drive, Central Avenue and Williams Park. It would include creating a commercial improvement district, in which businesses would pay a franchise fee to the city that would be passed along to a nonprofit to run the program. Mathis said the downtown partnership would not compete for the job.
If businesses aren't on board with how to pay for the effort, Mathis said the program could also be funded through parking revenue, private donations or using Community Redevelopment Area funds if the county agrees. City Administrator Rob Gerdes said parking meters could be expanded to the Edge District.
Multiple residents, business owners and employees described problems with cleanliness and safety in the downtown area at last week's council meeting. Some residents said they were harassed or threatened while working or walking around downtown.
'We see it everyday — individuals living on the streets or in temporary hotel housing exhibiting behaviors that represent deep, unmet needs," Karen Carmichael, the Downtown Neighborhood Association's president, said at the June 5 meeting. 'This is no longer a housing issue, it's a public safety issue.'
The address of the man who was stabbed and killed last month is listed as a room in the Williams Park Hotel on First Avenue North, according to a police report from a separate incident on the same day.
In March, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a ban on homeless people sleeping in public spaces. This includes park benches, sidewalks and streets. The law also lets business owners and residents sue counties or municipalities for failing to comply.
Residents at the June 5 meeting expressed concern with the city's enforcement the new law, as well as concerns with the city's compliance. Residents also circulated a petition, now with more than 400 signatures, in support of the Clean & Safe proposal.
Other residents at Thursday's general City Council meeting at 1 p.m. expressed concerns that the Clean & Safe program would exclude or criminalize people who are homeless from the St. Petersburg community.
At a Thursday morning committee meeting, council member Brandi Gabbard said the proposed program should primarily focus on connecting homeless populations with available resources.
'The cry for us to do more is really to help individuals who need help and cannot get those services,' Gabbard said. 'If we're not actually helping individuals and creating this in a way that it has [an] outspread to the entire city and a benefit, then I don't even want to continue this conversion.'
Council members also discussed how the program would work with the existing CALL program, where social workers respond to mental health crises or homelessness complaints. The St. Petersburg Police Department also has a unit to assist the homeless in its patrol response division.
Council member Richie Floyd said there's still 'a lot to shore up' with the Clean & Safe proposal.
'So many times I see what the issue with homeless people and transient populations are is that they just get shuffled around the city,' he said. 'We can't make this an effort to do that regardless of who's in charge of the outreach and we have to think at a higher level.'
The council agreed Thursday to hold another meeting to further discuss the topic.
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Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Yahoo
Disappeared by ICE in L.A.: How to find detained relatives
For 22 days, immigration enforcement officials have conducted sweeps in communities across the Los Angeles region, arresting an estimated 722 people between June 1 and June 10 alone. For families and immigrant advocacy groups, determining the location of detainees has been difficult. "In some cases it's been 72 hours where we have not been able to identify where their family member is and when we do, sometimes they're in the [Adelanto Detention Center]," said Flor Melendrez, executive director of CLEAN Carwash Worker Center, a nonprofit labor advocacy group. "Sometimes it's too late and [the detainee is] calling from the Ciudad Juárez or Tijuana, where they have already been deported, and that's within 72 hours." CLEAN has focused on representing workers in the car wash industry for 18 years, but in the last three weeks the group has shifted to helping families find workers who were taken during a raid and guide them toward supportive and legal services. "When the children are asking if we are going to bring their parent back home and we have no way to even respond [with] where they are, it's heartbreaking," Melendrez said. Here are the immediate steps you should take if your relative is arrested and detained by immigrant enforcement officials: If your loved one was detained by immigration enforcement agents, reach out to immigrant advocacy groups that can provide referrals, information, resources (such as food and financial assistance) and, in some cases, direct support. A network of local rapid response hotlines has been established to document immigration enforcement activity and help connect those affected to legal services and other types of support, according to the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice. The following local rapid response hotline numbers are provided by the California Immigrant Policy Center and the ACLU Southern California: Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, (888) 624-4752 Boyle Heights Immigrant Rights Network, (323) 805-1049 Long Beach Community Defense Network, (562) 245-9575 Órale (Long Beach), (562) 276-0267 People's Struggle San Fernando Valley, (562) 977-8118 Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, (909) 361-4588 Southern California Bilingual Rapid Response Legal Resource Hotline, (213) 833-8283 After or before you've made the call for help, gather these important documents that pertain to the detained family member: Birth certificate Medical records Past visa applications Receipt and approval notices for any immigration applications the person has previously submitted You'll also need to gather the following personal information that will be used either by you or your legal representation to locate your detained loved one: A-Number, also known as "alien registration number," which is assigned by the Department of Homeland Security to noncitizens who apply to live and work in the U.S. The seven- to nine-digit number can be found on a green card, work permit or other immigration document. Country of birth Personal information including full name and birthday There is a coalition of organizations and pro bono attorneys working to support individuals who have been detained, but it can be challenging to get immediate help because there is an overwhelming need. Because of the high demand for legal help, Public Counsel, a nonprofit public interest law firm, is currently prioritizing cases based on extreme need and often can only take a bond case or help with locating a detained person. Public Counsel warned that families who have not been affected by immigration enforcement but need help with their immigration status should look for a lawyer now and begin the immigration process in case they are detained in the future. Your options for legal help include: Immigrant Defenders Law Center, (213) 833-8283 Public Counsel, (213) 385-2977 Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, (800) 399-4529 Lalama Immigration Law, (833) 838-8472 Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project, (213) 251-3505 Immigration Center for Women and Children (L.A. office), (213) 614-1165 El Rescate, (213) 387-3284 Central American Resource Center of Los Angeles, (213) 385-7800 USC Gould School of Law Immigration Clinic, (213) 821-9627 International Institute of Los Angeles, (323) 264-6217 You can also search for an immigration lawyer through the American Immigration Lawyers Association online locator tool. How to spot a fake immigration attorney: Scammers try to confuse immigrants into thinking they're an attorney by calling themselves a notario, notary public, accountant or consultant, according to the Federal Trade Commission. In Latin American countries, a notario or notary public is an attorney or has legal training, but that's not the case in the United States. How to protect yourself from the scam: Do not hire an immigration consultant or a notary. Only lawyers, accredited representatives and recognized organizations can give you legal advice or represent you in immigration court. Immigration consultants — who may call themselves immigration experts, notarios, notaries public or paralegals — cannot do so, according to California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta's office. Do not give your original important documents to anyone, unless you see proof that the government requires the original document, according to the FTC. You can verify whether a lawyer is legitimate by searching for them on the State Bar of California website and determining if they have an active law license. If your relative is arrested in Los Angeles, they will likely be taken to the federal detention center in downtown Los Angeles — sometimes called "B-18" — which is located at 320 Aliso St., according to Public Counsel. Call the detention center at (213) 830-4900 or (213) 830-7911 and provide the operator with your relative's A-Number, according to Public Counsel. You can also try locating your relative by using the Department of Homeland Security's ICE Detainee Locator System online or call (866) 347-2423, but be warned that immigration officials often won't provide detainee information over the phone and might not update their online data regularly. Whether you use the ICE online locator or call, you'll need to provide the detainee's A-Number and country of birth, or their full name and both country and date of birth. If you cannot locate your family member through this process, you can contact the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations field office closest to where the person was picked up. There are three field offices in California: Los Angeles Field Office: 300 North Los Angeles St., Room 7631, Los Angeles, CA 90012; (213) 830-7911. This office's area of responsibility includes Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. San Diego Field Office: 880 Front Street, #2242, San Diego, CA 92101; (619) 436-0410. This office's area of responsibility includes San Diego and Imperial counties. San Francisco Field Office: 630 Sansome Street, Room 590, San Francisco, CA 94111; (415) 365-8800. This office's area of responsibility includes Northern California, Hawaii, Guam, Saipan. Another option for locating your detained relative is contacting their country's consulate. Here is a list of local consulate offices and contact numbers. Several organizations are offering free delivery of groceries and necessities to families affected by recent immigration enforcement. Follow the organization's websites and social media accounts for up-to-date information on resource availability: The YMCA is providing confidential delivery of groceries and other essentials to affected families. Contact socialimpact@ or call (323) 244-9077 for support. InnerCity Struggle is an East Los Angeles organization that assists with groceries and rental assistance. Call (323) 780-7605. No Us Without You offers food to undocumented community members. You can fill out their eligibility form for assistance online. Comunidades Indigenas En Liderazgo (CIELO) is delivering food to Indigenous families it serves and those in the community who are afraid to go out for fear of being caught up in ICE raids. To see if you qualify for assistance, fill out their online contact form. Raíces Con Voz is a grassroots organization in Boyle Heights that is providing grocery and essential items to those in the community who feel they are unable to leave their homes due to recent ICE activity. For assistance, send the group a direct message on Instagram. World Harvest Charities and Family Services' Cart With a Heart program is providing families who are sheltering in place with grocery carts full of fresh produce, protein, pantry supplies and more. For assistance, call (213) 746-2227. La Puente Mutual Aid delivers essentials to community members without asking for a name or address of the person in need, for free. Email lapuentesdropbasket@ with a code name, your neighborhood, a safe drop spot and items needed. The El Monte Business Alliance is offering food assistance and baby products to those in need through their new program El Monte Cares. For help, call (800) 622-4302. Immigo Immigration Services delivers necessary items to families in need. Call (818) 730-0140 for assistance. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Chicago Tribune
20-06-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Paul Vallas: Chicago must reform how it handles expensive police misconduct lawsuits.
The city's finances and ability to fund essential public services are at a crisis point for many reasons. Dangerously overlooked is the bleeding of millions of taxpayer dollars every month on litigation, the continuation of which cannot be sustained. From 2008 to 2024, Chicago paid out over $1.11 billion in police-related legal settlements and verdicts. In 2025 alone, the city has already approved over $145 million in police settlements, exceeding its budget by a significant margin. It has gotten so bad that the most obvious way for the city to manage risk — the purchase of liability insurance — is rapidly becoming unavailable as the city's insurers, once willing to protect the city from catastrophic losses, have run for the hills. These hundreds of millions in payouts are emblematic of a system in which settlements for police-related incidents have become routine and increasingly expensive. During Kim Foxx's tenure as Cook County state's attorney, more law firms began to specialize in representing individuals accused of violent crimes and in suing the Chicago Police Department for alleged civil rights violations. These firms frequently win enormous, taxpayer-funded settlements. Consider the cases of Gabriel Solache and Arturo DeLeon-Reyes, who were wrongfully convicted of the brutal murder of a young couple and kidnapping of their child. Despite a third perpetrator's unwavering testimony against them, Foxx dropped the charges partially because their cases were handled by a former detective, Reynaldo Guevara, who faces allegations that he bullied and beat defendants. The third perpetrator is in prison serving a life sentence. Foxx's office later withdrew opposition to their certificates of innocence, enabling their lawyers to use these certificates as evidence in lawsuits against the police. This is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern in which convictions are vacated and substantial settlements follow — even when the facts strongly suggest guilt. The election of Judge Eileen O'Neill Burke as state's attorney marked a new era for criminal justice in Chicago. However, the city still faces a backlog of cases initiated during Foxx's tenure, with over 200 wrongful conviction lawsuits pending. The potential liability from these cases is estimated in the billions of dollars. Compounding the problem, the SAFE-T Act and the CPD consent decree have introduced new mandates and oversight requirements, which are likely to fuel even more litigation. In addition, police pursuits have now become the new gold vein for litigators to mine. These developments, combined with a plaintiff-friendly legal environment in Cook County, mean that the city's exposure to massive settlements is only increasing. Police pursuit lawsuits are now a significant financial threat after wrongful conviction cases. These lawsuits often arise when fleeing suspects crash, causing injuries or deaths, and the city is held liable for the actions of police officers making split-second decisions. Since 2019, Chicago taxpayers have paid more than $120 million to resolve just 31 civil claims arising from police pursuits. Here are five key reforms that can be implemented: Runaway settlements and verdicts for alleged police misconduct are not only undermining public safety and police morale — they also are threatening the city's financial stability and its ability to provide essential services. Chicago's leaders must act decisively to restore balance, protect taxpayer dollars and ensure that compensation for genuine victims does not come at the cost of the city's future. Paul Vallas is an adviser for the Illinois Policy Institute. He ran against Brandon Johnson for Chicago mayor in 2023 and was previously budget director for the city and CEO of Chicago Public Schools.
Los Angeles Times
20-06-2025
- Los Angeles Times
More L.A. car washes targeted in immigration raids, some closed amid fears of further sweeps
These days, Alejandro Cabrera doesn't do much work in his office. The manager of Touch and Glow Car Wash in Whittier instead stays outside, where his workers are, keeping his eyes peeled for approaching vehicles. If he glimpses a white Ford F-150, the type of vehicle federal law enforcement agents often use, or a gray suburban — or any car with tinted windows — his heart begins to pound. Cabrera has been on edge ever since June 9, when immigration agents raided the car wash and took three workers, although he said one was later released. His fears were only confirmed when agents returned five days later and snatched another worker. 'All the time, I'm always looking for those cars,' Cabrera said. The rash of immigration raids at local car washes have created stressful environments at the businesses that have been targeted and forced others to temporarily close out of fear of future raids. Two dozen car washes in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas have been the sites of immigration sweeps this month, according to CLEAN Carwash Worker Center, a labor advocacy nonprofit that said it has been able to verify these raids through community reports and footage on social media. Some car washes that have been targeted, such as the one that Cabrera supervises, have remained open. Others have lost enough workers — either because they were detained by immigration officials or because they're staying home, fearing future raids — that they have been forced to shut down. Misael, the owner of a car wash in Marina Del Rey, said he had to close his doors for four days straight because his employees weren't coming in. He opened the business seven years ago to pursue the American dream, he said. Misael, who declined to share his last name and asked The Times not to name his car wash out of fear for his employees' safety, is a legal immigrant from Mexico, but many of his workers don't have legal status. 'Everybody's scared. I'm scared too. But what can I do?' he said. 'I have to pay the bills, I have to pay the rent.' Misael said on Wednesday that business has been particularly slow after the raids, which could be due to the fact that customers at car wash locations have also been detained by immigration officials in prior hits. Car washes are nearly ubiquitous in the car-dependent Los Angeles, with CLEAN estimating that there's roughly 500 businesses in Los Angeles County employing about 10,000 people. The economic fallout of some of these businesses closing, even temporarily, is likely to have ripple effects. 'This is going to affect us all,' said Flor Melendrez, executive director of CLEAN. 'Because our restaurants are not full, our stores are not full, our car washes are not full, that means the workers in our communities who are not going to work, they're also not going to be spending. Those businesses that usually make a profit are not going to make a profit.' While some car washes that closed have since opened back up, Westchester Hand Wash, which was hit by raids on consecutive days earlier this month, has remained closed. Mehmet Aydogan, the car wash's owner, said of the seven workers who were picked up by immigration agents earlier this month, five have already been deported. Other workers are lying low, and several quit outright, said Aydogan, who took over the business two years ago. 'Everyone is really afraid to come back to work,' Aydogan said. 'They want to go back to Mexico, they told me. They don't even go outside the house. They are waiting until things calm down to leave.' Aydogan wants to reopen soon, but he said he does not want to convince workers to come back, just in case agents return once again. And he worries that in addition to the federal government crackdown driving away workers, customers will be frightened too — especially if the enforcement actions continue for weeks or months. 'This will be very bad. I will lose all the guys, and no one will come to the business as customer or employee. And everyone will think something is wrong with this car wash,' he said. 'It's destroying the business.' Early Thursday morning, several potential customers drove up to the lot where Westchester Hand Wash sits. About six cars pulled up to the normally bustling location, confused as to why their regular spot wasn't attracting a long line of sap-covered cars, as it usually would on a spring morning. Cynthia Bell, a 59-year-old resident of Playa Vista and regular customer, got out of her car to take a closer look at the sign that read, 'Sorry, we are now closed.' 'My car needs a good wash and they'll clean your mats and everything, but just looking at it, it looks kind of deserted,' Bell said. 'I've never seen it like this.' A handful of other hopeful customers asked Bell, who was standing near the sign, to confirm whether the location was closed. One man, who now lives in Seattle, stopped by while he was visiting in hopes of buying the air fresheners he used to love from the spot he once frequented. A small crowd of customers began to gather around 8:45 a.m., and Bell said she wondered whether they'd be open at 9 a.m. 'They're always open early,' another said. Minutes before 9 a.m., Bell drove away, seeing no signs the business would be up and running anytime soon.
