Green Bay Police review interaction with homeless: ‘We can do better’

PHOTO: Courtesy of WLUK

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A recording of an interaction between a Green Bay Police officer and several homeless individuals has the department reviewing the incident.

It’s unclear when the video, posted online by Lizard King just days ago, accusing Green Bay Police of rousing some homeless people in the middle of the night, was taken, but the interaction, near St. John’s Park In Green Bay, has drawn the attention of the community with more than 500 comments on the original post.

Green Bay Police have noticed it too, saying the actions of the officer in the video are not the department’s norm.

Police say it’s their job to enforce laws and ordinances in public places. And, they say state statute prohibits sleeping next to the roadway.

So, it’s not uncommon for officers to address those concerns with the individuals involved, even if it’s the middle of the night.

According to Capt. Tom Denney, “Obviously making a PA announcement over a squad car and blipping the siren really doesn’t accomplish that. So what is normally done is an officer gets out, has a face-to-face conversation. So we can enforce the rules in a more compassionate way and also potentially connect people with the services that in most cases I think they really need.