ACLU Accuses Santa Monica of Mistreating Homeless
Tuesday, Jul 14, 2009 | Updated 11:15 AM PDT
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The ACLU filed the lawsuit Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on behalf of six homeless people.
The ACLU of Southern California is suing the city of Santa Monica, charging that police regularly harass, arrest and push homeless people out of city limits in violation of their constitutional rights.
The ACLU filed the lawsuit Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on behalf of six homeless people.
The complaint says the city does not provide enough beds in homeless shelters, but police harass those forced to sleep in the street. The ACLU accuses officers of prodding homeless people to move to downtown Los Angeles' Skid Row, Culver City or Venice.
City officials could not be immediately reached for comment.
Santa Monica has an estimated homeless population of 900 people.
