The Crime and Safety Blindspot: Do homeless populations pose an increased risk to public safety?
This is part of the “Crime and Safety Blind Spot” series, which presents an opportunity to understand various perspectives, entertain new ones, and consider different conclusions. Read the introduction and view other posts here.
INTRODUCTION
Some argue that punishing homelessness deepens poverty and social issues. Others contend current policies miss the mark, inadvertently fueling crime and destabilizing communities. With homelessness on the rise, the debate over the impact of encampments on public safety has become prominent. Cities need to seek immediate solutions while also aiming for long-term success. In this post, we will explore various views, studies, and solutions related to the intersection of crime and homelessness.
| PERSPECTIVES FROM THE LEFT | PERSPECTIVES FROM THE RIGHT |
|---|---|
| “Punishing poverty traps people in cycles of debt, unemployment, and hopelessness, increasing the likelihood someone will become chronically homeless, which makes the problem worse for everyone and therefore serves no legitimate penological purpose,” – Led by Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), 18 Democrats Amicus Brief to the Supreme Court “The biggest driver of why folks are on the street is because they lost their jobs, income or were evicted from their homes, usually for not being able to pay the rent. So you have major landlords literally causing folks to lose their homes, and real estate speculation making it impossible for folks to find an affordable place to live” – San Francisco Supervisor Dean Preston | “Too often, local tax dollars are spent on policies that exacerbate homelessness, coddle criminals and make it harder for ordinary people to make a living. And too many local Democrats insist on virtue signaling—proposing half-baked government programs that aim to solve every single societal ill—and on finding new ways to thumb their noses at Republicans at the state or federal level. Enough. This makes for good headlines, but not for safer, stronger, more vibrant cities.” – Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson “We have a homeless crisis in our state…I would say fortunately it’s not as bad as some of the other states, some of the other states that have not done much of anything. Their streets are dirty. There’s crime. There’s drugs. Businesses are hurting. Their economy is going down to the tubes, and people are leaving those states …”- Rep. Ralph Massullo (R-Fla.) |
EXPLORING KEY PERSPECTIVES AND BLIND SPOTS
What is the relationship between crime and homelessness trends?
The following charts provide a high-level view of homelessness and crime trends from 2007-2022. Similar to crime statistics, homelessness data can be elusive due to challenges in accurately identifying and counting homeless individuals.
| States with Highest Crime (per capita) | States with Highest Homelessness (per capita) |
|---|---|
| New Mexico | New York |
| Arkansas | Vermont |
| Louisiana | Oregon |
| Colorado | California |
| California | Hawai’i |
| States with Lowest Crime (per capita) | States with Lowest Homelessness (per capita) |
|---|---|
| New Hampshire | Mississippi |
| Maine | Alabama |
| Rhode Island | Louisiana |
| Connecticut | South Carolina |
| New Jersey | Virginia |
Potential Blind Spot:Most law enforcement agencies and prosecutor offices do not compile or publicly share homelessness statistics, making it difficult to understand its relationship with calls for service, arrests, and convictions. Without detailed tracking, the impact of homelessness on crime rates and the evaluation of interventions remain unclear. The absence can lead to a reliance on anecdotal evidence, political trends, and stereotypes, resulting in biased policy formulation. Improved data collection and analysis can improve understanding of how homelessness intersects with crime and more effectively identify trends, allocate resources, and develop effective policies.
Are homeless individuals victimized more often?
- The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office 2022 data shows homeless individuals face murder 19 times more often, attempted murder 27 times more often, assault 12 times more often, and sexual assault nine times more often.
- In a 2022 Los Angeles survey of homeless women without children, 57.9 percent experienced theft, 43.1 percent were repeatedly harassed or threatened, 35.3 percent were attacked, and 20.4 percent were coerced into unwanted sexual activity.
- While studies vary on shelter versus street homeless victimization rates, most indicate that shelters result in less victimization. However, many avoid shelters due to perceived safety issues.
Potential Blind Spot: Crimes are often committed against people known to the perpetrator. This dynamic may affect homeless individuals who often form encampments for support and safety. Highly dense population areas can also provide increased opportunities and interactions, leading to higher crime rates. Thus, the high density of encampments may increase a homeless individual’s vulnerability to victimization. Homeless individuals may inherently be more exposed to circumstances that promote crime and affect their vulnerability as crime victims.
Do homeless individuals commit more crimes?
- In Seattle,research uncovered little correlation between homeless encampments and nearly all types of property crime, noting only a slight association with burglary. The study, however, revealed a significant relationship between reported property crime and complaints about homelessness.
- In 2022 the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office reported that homeless individuals were 514 times more likely to be arrested and charged with a felony and were often facing multiple criminal cases. The data shows substantially higher rates of robbery, residential burglary, assault, arson, and vandalism.
- Los Angeles Police Department crime data from 2018 to 2021 shows that homeless individuals, while only 1 percent of the population, are suspects in 6 to 8 percent of all crimes and 11 to 15 percent of violent crimes.
Potential Blind Spot: While thorough research on the link between homelessness and crime is limited, some relationship appears to exist. However, more questions than answers remain. How is homelessness defined in current data? Were crimes committed within encampments or against strangers? Does increased visibility of homeless individuals lead to more offenses reported?How do higher levels of behavioral issues factor in? How might homelessness cause or exacerbate behavioral health issues, increasing police contact? Could increased victimization drive homeless individuals to commit crimes out of fear rather than opportunity? Understanding the broader social and systemic factors is crucial.
What are the most common approaches to address homelessness in the context of public safety?
- Anti-camping or anti-loitering laws: These laws aim to reduce visible homelessness by prohibiting sleeping or lingering in public spaces. While they can temporarily clear areas and may give an appearance of improved safety, they may lead to repeated cycles of displacement, fines, and incarceration for homeless individuals. This approach may involve local service agencies to provide support during displacement or require individuals to relocate to a specific temporary location.
- Housing First: The Housing First approach provides permanent housing to homeless individuals without preconditions. The theory is that by securing stable housing, individuals are likelier to engage in supportive services, focus on other pressing issues, and have fewer police interactions. This strategy aims to integrate homeless individuals back into the community, reducing the likelihood of behaviors associated with homelessness being perceived as public safety threats.
- Treatment First: Treatment First approaches require homeless individuals to undergo treatment for mental health or substance abuse before receiving housing assistance. This can be accomplished through involuntary commitment laws or mandatory treatment and sobriety as prerequisites to housing or to avoid legal consequences. The theory is that managing specific behavioral health needs enables better life choices while housing or legal consequences provide external motivation to follow through on supportive services.
Potential Blind Spot: The debate over homelessness centers on balancing respect for individual autonomy with the government’s duty to support those who cannot care for themselves. More simply, it is a debate around the most “humane” response to addressing homelessness. Allowing individuals to live without intervention respects their freedom, but may leave them vulnerable. Conversely, criminalizing homelessness or mandating treatment may only offer temporary relief, often resulting in ineffective long-term outcomes. It’s important to distinguish effective interventions from those that merely conceal problems, understand the long-term impact of short-term measures, and ensure adequate resource access before implementation.
R STREET’S PERSPECTIVE
The relationship between homelessness, safety, and crime is complex, often obscured by biases that portray homeless people as inherently lazier, more dangerous, and more out of control than the housed population. Nonetheless, homeless individuals are disproportionately involved in the criminal justice system—as both victims and suspects—although they only account for a small percentage of overall crime. Unfortunately, limited data and lack of comprehensive research on causal factors and correlations between homelessness and crime may lead to policies based on assumptions, anecdotes, and stereotypes rather than facts.
Criminalizing homeless encampments without providing permanent housing solutions risks merely relocating the problem or filling jails, perpetuating a cycle of homelessness and incarceration. The lack of adequate housing and treatment options in many communities may also hinder the effectiveness of most initiatives.
A more multifaceted strategy seems essential, recognizing the individualized needs of homeless individuals. Different solutions work best for different people; there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Some, particularly those with serious mental or physical illness, will likely need lifelong rental subsidies. Others may benefit from external motivators to receive the treatment necessary for a productive, housed life. Adopting a “this and that” rather than a “this or that” mindset allows communities to create a more nuanced, adaptable, and effective approach to homelessness, ultimately improving the perception and reality of public safety.
The Crime and Safety Blindspot
Unfamiliarity with laws and practices, widespread misinformation, and conflicting research leave individuals with limited perspectives on how to improve the criminal justice system.