Alabama police chief apologises after 'homeless quilt' post sparks anger

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Alabama police chief apologises after 'homeless quilt' post sparks anger

Associated Press
Tue 31 Dec 2019 06.45 GMT

A police chief in Alabama has apologised for an officer’s social media post which appeared to ridicule homeless people and was shared widely over the Christmas holidays.

The Facebook post showed two officers from the city of Mobile holding what the post called a “homeless quilt” made of cardboard signs that apparently had been confiscated from panhandlers around the city, according to media outlet al.com.



“Wanna wish everybody in the 4th precinct a Merry Christmas, especially our captain. Hope you enjoy our homeless quilt. Sincerely Panhandler patrol,” the post read.

The city’s police chief, Lawrence Battiste, apologised for the post, calling it an “insensitive gesture”.

“Although we do not condone panhandling and must enforce the city ordinances that limit panhandling, it is never our intent or desire as a police department to make light of those who find themselves in a homeless state,” Battiste said.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/dec/31/alabama-police-chief-apologises-after-homeless-quilt-post-sparks-anger

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Related: Mobile police officers appear to ridicule homeless people in viral Facebook post (AL.com)

[bobGandolf]

1. What the hell is it with making fun of homelessness.

I just do not understand that line of thinking. At a time of giving, and helping others how do these men in blue, the protectors of us, find anything funny in homelessness
.

[smirkymonkey]

7. Republicans. It makes me so damn angry that they have absolutely no compassion

whatsoever for these people. I could spit nails.

[Sherman A1]

2. Well,

That’s a start.

[yellowcanine]

3. Those two officers need to be fired.

That is outrageous.

[Lars39]

5. And police chief replaced, since he hasn't fired them.

[smirkymonkey]

8. Absolutely!

This is just sickening. How dare they! These people need help, not ridicule or punishment. Arghhhh!

[WhiskeyGrinder]

4. FTP.

[gratuitous]

6. "Panhandler Patrol"

I'm guessing there are several pages missing from the Bibles in Alabama, which styles itself as the Buckle of the Bible Belt. Keep wages low, low, low. Cut programs designed to help people trapped by grinding poverty. Criminalize being too poor to afford housing. For the society that's been carefully crafted to leave citizens behind, make fun of the victims.

I seem to recall Jesus preaching against those kinds of things.

[Hotler]

9. I noticed they didn't fire the assholes, yet nt