Homeless are a challenge for Sarasota, Fla.

 
No Author Published: January 18, 2013    Comment on this article Leave a comment

SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union and others say authorities are trying to harass the homeless into leaving a Florida coastal city best known for its beautiful beaches nearby.

photo - In a Friday, Jan. 11, 2013 photo, Cindy Edlund, left, and James Franklin Jr., both of whom are homeless, spend the day on a bench outside the Sarasota City Hall Friday, Jan. 11, 2013, in Sarasota, Fla. Newer, wealthy residents in the Gulf Coast city known for its arts scene and beautiful beaches are buying expensive downtown condos so they can live an urban lifestyle _ but don't want the problems associated with a city, including the 700 or so homeless people who inhabit the county, the American Civil Liberties Union and others contend. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
In a Friday, Jan. 11, 2013 photo, Cindy Edlund, left, and James Franklin Jr., both of whom are homeless, spend the day on a bench outside the Sarasota City Hall Friday, Jan. 11, 2013, in Sarasota, Fla. Newer, wealthy residents in the Gulf Coast city known for its arts scene and beautiful beaches are buying expensive downtown condos so they can live an urban lifestyle _ but don't want the problems associated with a city, including the 700 or so homeless people who inhabit the county, the American Civil Liberties Union and others contend. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

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They contend that newer, wealthy residents are buying expensive downtown Sarasota condos so they can live an urban lifestyle — but don't want the problems associated with a city.

Recently, the ACLU has uncovered a surveillance video showing an officer throwing a homeless man against a metal grate and received public records that show police sent messages to each other about "bum hunting."

Police Chief Bernadette DiPino says his department is conducting an internal investigation.

A task force of city officials and homeless advocates was recently formed to address the situation.

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