An APD officer who said, "We're gonna chase them out of town," in reference to homeless people is now backing off his remarks in an interview with KUT News.
"I don't want to say it was totally taken out of context," Christ told KUT. "I said, 'We can't chase them out of town, but we may be able to chase them out of a particular neighborhood.'"
"As far as chasing them out town, it's probably not going to happen," Christ said. "Austin has a reputation in the homeless community as being very tolerant and I guess a good place to do business."
But some homeless advocates are still incensed by the comment with several saying it reflects the APD's general attitude towards homeless people. Helen Varty is executive director of Front Steps.
“This has been going on forever. It reminds me of back in the 30’s during the Depression; police were breaking up camps where people were trying to live. It’s a very old story, and it’s an inappropriate response to homelessness," Varty told KUT News.
