Barred From Home by Sarah Ryley and Barry Paddock of the New York Daily News and Christine Lee, special to ProPublica.
From the webpage:
To settle nuisance abatement actions with the New York Police Department, residents often must agree to strict provisions such as banning specific family members for life, warrantless searches, and automatically forfeiting their leases if accused of wrongdoing in the future. The News and ProPublica identified 297 people who were either barred from homes or gave up their tenancy to settle actions filed during 2013 and the first half of 2014. More than half were never convicted of a crime as a result of the underlying police investigation that triggered the case. Here are their stories. Read Story.
This story needs to be spread as widely as possible and its research and reporting techniques emulated just as widely.
After spending a good part of another lifetime listening to stories of physical abuse of women, children, prisoners and the mentally ill, to consider “unsound” solutions to their problems, I would have thought this story would not impact me so.
It is quite visceral and haunting. You will leave it wishing the “…take it from my cold dead hands…” types could “enjoy” this level of oppression by the government. Can’t help but wonder if their response would be as brave as their talk.
The fantasy of government oppression doesn’t hold a candle to the horrors described in this story.
BTW, since these are civil proceedings, guess what?
No right to an appointed attorney. No assistance at all.
Read the story and find out if your locality has similar ordinances. Another type of government abuse can be found in “protective” services cases.