Activists Note Rise in Arrests of Mentally Ill

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By Eric Lipton and Sylvia Moreno
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, April 24, 1999; Page B1

An unusually large number of mentally ill, homeless men and women have been arrested and sent to the city jail in recent weeks, leading some social service advocates to question whether the District lockup has been used improperly to spiff up the city's image during the NATO summit.

D.C. police officials denied the arrests were tied to the summit, saying no homeless people were arrested Thursday night when authorities cleared the Federal Triangle area of all pedestrians and traffic to prepare for the arrival of the presidents, prime ministers and other dignitaries from 42 nations.

"We are not conducting such an operation; homeless people are still around the [Mall] area at this time," said Sgt. Joseph C. Gentile, a police department spokesman.

But Andrea Weisman, director of mental health services at the D.C. jail, said yesterday that she has seen a near doubling of the number of homeless and mentally ill intakes in the last week.

"There is no question in my mind, this is because of the sweeps related to NATO," Weisman said.

Downtown religious leaders, also concerned about a possible homeless sweep, have sent Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D) a letter asking why the city did not provide assistance to the homeless instead of sending them to jail.

"Harassing those who may be mentally ill or otherwise disabled can only worsen their condition," said Terry Lynch, executive director of the Downtown Cluster of Congregations. "It is a moral failure should those who are poor and needy be swept aside and put out of sight."

Determining whether D.C. police and other law enforcement authorities actually have engaged in a campaign to arrest or force the distant relocation of the homeless is difficult.

On Thursday night, city psychiatrists canvassed the Federal Triangle area, warning the homeless that they would be asked to move. When police put up barricades to restrict access to the three-block area around the Ronald Reagan Building later that night, all but one homeless man had left.

That one man, who declined to give his name, ultimately was moved half a block away. And while the summit was underway yesterday, several homeless men and women, including this one individual, could be found just beyond the restricted zone.

Several said they had not been disturbed by police.

Richard "Skipper" Cannel was at his usual 15th Street grate – between Pennsylvania and Constitution avenues NW – two blocks from the summit headquarters.

"I've been trying to see [President Clinton] for seven months," Cannel said. "I sent him a 100-page letter, but I haven't heard back from him yet."

Bobbie Richards, 49, who was sitting on a park bench near Constitution Avenue, added, "It ain't bothering me."

But Weisman said that for at least the last week, she has seen an influx of homeless and mentally ill inmates, charged with nonviolent offenses such as urinating in public, disorderly conduct and sleeping in a doorway.

From January to April 1, the mental health unit of the jail had 69 admissions, she said. Since April 1, the unit has admitted 32 people, or nearly half the total for the first three months of the year. Weisman said that of the 32 admitted this month, at least 11 are homeless, although the number could be higher because inmates sometimes give relatives' addresses when they arrive at the jail.

Williams's press secretary, Peggy Armstrong, said the mayor will look into the allegations that the homeless may have been arrested instead of referred to social service providers. But she said that he had instructed staff before the NATO summit to ensure that this did not happen.

"We will look into this to make sure we did the good and right thing," Armstrong said.