NYCLU on Saratoga Springs Police Crackdown on Unhoused Residents Ahead of Belmont Festival 

NEW YORK – In response to the Saratoga Springs Police Department’s reported arrests and detention of homeless individuals ahead of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, the New York Civil Liberties Union released the following statement attributable to Regional Director for the Capital Region Melanie Trimble. 

“The Saratoga Springs Police Department’s reported crackdown on the city’s unhoused population is a shameful attempt to shuffle them away from public sight and cover up the city’s housing problems. In doing so, Saratoga Springs is ripping a page from the books of other cities that have swept homeless people and so-called encampments before major sporting and entertainment events. 

“Criminalization of the unhoused does not help end homelessness, but instead worsens the problem. We urge Saratoga Springs to fulfill its duty to protect the constitutional rights of its unhoused population and focus its efforts on providing permanent affordable housing options along with increased health and support services to all its residents.”