Civil liberties advocates fight Hawaii law targetting homeless

 A new law targeting the homeless in Hawaii is under attack by housing and civil liberties advocates. The law, which went into effect in May, allows police to arrest homeless people who return within a year to a location where police previously asked them to leave. Despite its reputation as a carefree and prosperous state, the number of homeless in Hawaii has almost doubled in the past four years, reports theBoston Globe. Critics say state and local governments are trying to hide the homeless in an effort to maintain the lucrative tourism industry. The police have conducted sweeps of beaches and parks, removed benches where homeless people slept in Waikiki and downtown Honolulu, and installed razor wire under viaducts. "Obviously if visitors go to the beach and see homeless people, it just doesn't suggest the image of Hawaii and aloha," Darlene Hein, a homeless advocate, told the Boston Globe. [more ]