Believe people the first time they tell you who they are. Miami Beach Commissioner Steven Meiner began proposing a bill back in August to arrest homeless people if they refuse to go to a shelter, essentially making it illegal to be homeless. He got exactly what he wanted when Miami Beach City Commissioners voted 4-3 to initially approve a new plan doing just that. The current law gives people a chance to leave if asked by police, and are told they can be arrested if they refuse to leave. The proposed law requires that a homeless person accept assistance or risk facing arrest.
