Police cursed and heckled in Gerner Park

Sherman R. Frederick

Novato Advance

(Editor’s note: See the full story in the June 23 edition of the Novato Advance.)

The homeless situation in a Novato city park turned more tense this week as the reality of two new Novato laws moved closer to taking force. The new anti-camping laws were designed to reduce homeless encampments like the one at Lee Gerner Park in Novato. They take effect on July 9. 

In a couple of videos posted by homeless advocate Jason Sarris on Facebook, he appeared to exhibit increased hostility toward police as they prepare to enforce the new laws. 

At one point in the video, a Novato police officer asks Sarris if we will take an offer to go to a more permanent shelter and Sarris responds “I’m not going to take sh*t from you.” 

Later in the video, Sarris chases the officer with video camera in hand and yells  “f*ck you” to the officer.

A thread on the Novato In The Know Facebook page elicited many comments from the wider Novato community casting doubt on Sarris’ credibility as a leader and whether the campers in the park really want to get into permanent housing. 

Greg Eddings of Novato told Sarris that he was “losing control and lashing out as always.” He added that he hoped “everyone watches this and sees how (Jason Sarris) treats others. July 9th is coming!”

Sarris responded: “You all don’t get it still. There are no shelter beds. And if there was it would be one or two. And if those two beds get filled up what happens to the other 28 homeless in the camp when the ordinance passes? They get criminalized for homelessness with a misdemeanor. 

Bear with me. I’m trying to change a system in society that is unfair and unjust.”

David Raful chided Sarris for his confrontation with the officers. “I don’t think it’s wise to put yourself out there publicly yelling obscenities at police officers. It isn’t a great look. I would’ve told the officers to show me the bed they were talking about, they could be bluffing. They didn’t seem confrontational at all though.”

In the video, the officers seem to be looking for campers who would like to move into a more permanent shelter. But their offer was rebuffed. Sharla Dale and others posted in the thread that they didn’t understand the hesitance to find a way out of the camp. 

“Why wouldn’t you encourage people to take the available beds,” she asked.

Megan Brizzolara, a Novato public official who sits on the Novato Police Review Board, chimed in on the thread that “the cop didn’t say there were beds. He said ‘I can get you a referral’. Not the same thing. A referral is an opportunity to get on a waiting list for possibly months.”

De’Anaya Wilson: “So is that a bad thing to get on a list? You never know if it will take days or months for sure. Someone else could get on that list.”

Brizzolara: “it is not offering shelter like some think.”

Wilson: “But it is a start to getting someplace off the street.”

Brizzolara: “I think you need to start worrying about yourself.”

That kind of brusque exchange became more intense as the conversation continued on social media.

One poster said after Sarris’ badgering of police officers in his video, “lets see how much of the community will support him at his protest tomorrow.”

That protest was scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 17. At 11:30 a.m. no one from the wider Novato community showed up. Leaders of the protest went tent-to-tent trying to get people to join them. In the end, about a dozen people made the trek to City Hall carrying pre-made signs. 

The protest was recorded by another member of the Police Review Commission, Jeremy Portje. Both Portje and Brizzolara appointments have been the subject of criticism at City Council meetings. Both could sit in judgment of officers should complaints be filed when the new anti-camping law rolls around on July 9.

Novatoan Jennifer May opined in the thread that Sarris “doesn’t see that he’s turning people against him that once supported him. Screaming and cussing isn’t winning.”

Sarris said his yelling and cursing at police officers was the result of oppression. 

“Do you understand homeless people are going to be criminalized in Novato? The police were offering referrals to a shelter that doesn’t have more than 1 or 2 beds at a time. Is it fair for the rest of the homeless to be criminalized when there won’t be shelter beds available? The emotion behind the video was from someone who is feeling oppression.”

May replied: “I am telling you, the videos, the name calling, all of it is turning people against you. I understand your frustration, however I also saw you not accepting anything less than the city and it’s taxpayers purchasing you a home to live in. I see you calling people such as myself who has worked my ass off since I was 16 years old to have a home, elitists and rich people that don’t care about the homeless. You need to find a middle ground, you need to accept the help that is offered, or people will continue to be frustrated with your demands. No one is being criminalized. You can not sleep in a park, near water, whatever the law is…. Calling people names, telling cops to f*ck off…. Isn’t helping you. I’ve helped plenty, I will continue to do so, but please think about your actions and words.”