Sacramento’s police department has agreed to pay nearly $800,000 to more than a thousand homeless people for destroying their property. The destruction occurred during numerous raids on homeless campsites over the last seven years.

Those who lost their belongings banded together in a class-action lawsuit that challenged the legality of the officers’ actions on the basis that the police threw away their possessions without providing the campsite residents a way of getting them back. The lost possessions included tents, sleeping bags and medicine. The city will cut $796,050 in checks to 1,143 people involved in the case. The checks are expected to range from $400 to $750.

In addition, the city will have to cover the plaintiffs’ legal fees. Mark Merin, who represented the homeless, is asking for $1.8 million. The city attorney’s office objects to the amount, calling it inaccurate and unreasonable.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

To Learn More:

Homeless Receive Checks in Sacramento Settlement over Police Cleanup (by Cynthia Hubert, Sacramento Bee)

Homeless Can Keep Possessions on the Street, but L.A. Clergy Counsels Not to Feed Them There (by Ken Broder, AllGov California)