Name: Arthur Schaper
Comment - 09/14/2025 08:04 AM: ( For )
Public Comment Re: “Responsibility to Shelter Initiative” Arthur Christopher Schaper
George Chen (City Council);Aurelio Mattucci (City Council);Lewis, Bridgett;Kaji, Jon;Gerson, Jeremy;Sheikh, Asam; +2 others
[email protected];Patrick Sullivan
SandraG;Scott Carter;Orly Stephenson;Rick Marshall;Mark Tsuneishi Dear Torrance City Council:
I just read this article in the Daily Breeze:
https://www.dailybreeze.com/2025/09/13/torrance-city-council-to-consider-arresting-homeless-people-who-refuse-shelter/ I wholeheartedly concur with this move.
Do it.
It's time to enforce quality-of-life laws in the city of Torrance.
I understand that this headline is broad editorializing to an extent, of course.
The city is not arresting someone for being homeless, per se. They would be arrested for loitering, for taking up space on the sidewalk, etc.
It is NOT compassionate to allow the homeless to disintegrate in the street.
It is not compassionate or fair to allow homeless individuals who refuse services, in turn to take up public spaces and harm and disrupt the walkways and streets for everyone else.
There has been too much compassion for one subset of individuals, and no regard for the needs of everyone else.
It frustrates me that some friends of mine in the city have shared with me that their children are afraid to go to school or to the local library because of homeless transients nearby. This is not acceptable.
The city needs to step up its quality of life enforcement. It's the most compassionate thing the city can do regarding the homelessness issue.
Arthur Schaper
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