Two police officers from Mobile, Alabama, sparked outrage after posing next to a “homeless quilt” made of signs confiscated from panhandlers in the city.
The controversial photograph depicted two officers holding a poster of strung-together signs with messages from homeless people. The picture was accompanied by the caption, “Wanna wish everybody in the 4th precinct a Merry Christmas, especially our captain. Hope you enjoy our homeless quilt. Sincerely Panhandler patrol.”
Preston McGraw and Alexandre Olivier, who are both recent graduates of the Mobile Police Academy, were the two officers in the photograph, according to AL.com. The photograph spread online, with many outraged by the officers’ mockery of homeless people.
Officers from @MobileALPolice made a “quilt” out of signs they apparently confiscated from homeless people as a gruesome gift for their precinct.
How you could even think of creating such a thing, let alone pose with it smiling like this, I have no idea. pic.twitter.com/0Rse8CzymT
— Gretchen Koch (@GretchenKoch) December 30, 2019
It takes real effort to do something this callous. Someone spent time on this. https://t.co/cjgDMY5t3e
— Jane Coaston (@cjane87) December 30, 2019
There is a case for enforcing vagrancy laws. But this is just awful. https://t.co/jfOYKmU4IV
— PEG (@pegobry) December 30, 2019
Chief of Police Lawrence Battiste issued an apology for the photograph on Monday, saying, “As a police department entrusted with serving and protecting our community, we offer our sincerest apology for the insensitive gesture of a Facebook post by two of our officers where they are holding up a homeless ‘quilt’ made of panhandling signs.”
He added, “Although we do not condone panhandling and must enforce the city ordinances that limit panhandling, it is never our intent or desire as a police department to make light of those who find themselves in a homeless state. Rather, our position has always been to partner with community service providers to help us help those faced with homelessness with hope to improve their quality of life.”
Mobile passed anti-panhandling legislation in 2010 that forbids people from asking for money in the high-density, downtown area. Additional legislation followed, banning panhandling throughout the city and implementing a $500 maximum fine for those caught in the act.
