Policing the Unhoused: Study Reveals the Harsh Realities of Complaint-Oriented Policing in San Francisco

Over the past three decades, cities across the United States have increasingly turned to quality-of-life ordinances as a means of maintaining public order. These policies, often justified as necessary to control crime and manage public spaces, have led to a surge in complaints and police interventions targeting socially vulnerable individuals, particularly those experiencing homelessness. In San Francisco, where the issue is particularly pronounced, a study by Chris Herring has brought to light the complex and often damaging effects of what he terms “complaint-oriented policing.”

Herring’s research, published in the American Sociological Review, uncovers the unintended consequences of policing strategies that prioritize public complaints over social justice. By moving the unhoused from one location to another, issuing citations, and threatening arrest, the police are not solving the problem—they are merely shuffling it around. This approach, the study argues, not only perpetuates the criminalization of poverty but also deepens the suffering of those already marginalized.

“Expanding the conception of the criminalization of poverty, which is often centered on incarceration or arrest, the study reveals previously unforeseen consequences of move-along orders, citations, and threats that dispossess the poor of property, create barriers to services and jobs, and increase vulnerability to violence and crime,” Herring writes. 

The findings call for a radical shift in how cities address homelessness, urging a move away from punitive measures and toward systemic changes that prioritize public health and housing over policing.