SIMMS SPEAKS WITH SQUEEGEE WOMEN.
BARRY: WHILE LOOKING FOR WORK, 20-YEAR-OLD DONNISHA RATCHFORD SAYS USING A SQUEEGEE AND WASHING CAR WINDOWS HELPS HER SURVIVE.
>> THIS IS MY MONEY UNTIL I FIND EMPLOYMENT.
BARRY: HER FRIEND, 26-YEAR-OLD SHAQUIAH ALLEN, IS ALSO HERE AT NORTH AVENUE NEAR 83 AND MOUNT ROYAL IN WEST BALTIMORE.
SHE SAYS IT’S NOT ONLY ABOUT MAKING A DOLLAR.
>> IT HELPS ME WITH PEOPLE SKILLS, AND WHEN I GET IN THE WORK FIELD, HOW TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT ATTITUDES.
BARRY: ON A GOOD DAY, EACH CAN MAKE AROUND $80.
THEY DO ENCOUNTER SOME ANGRY DRIVERS.
>> YOU GOT SOME PEOPLE WITH NASTY ATTITUDES.
YOU GOT SOME THAT WANT TO GIVE.
THEY DON’T WANT YOU TO TOUCH THEIR WINDOW, AND THEY RESPECT YOU MORE IF YOU DON’T TOUCH THEIR CAR.
BARRY: THEY SAY THEY ARE NOT AGGRESSIVE, BUT THEY ARE WELL AWARE OF RECENT INCIDENTS AND VANDALISM THAT HAVE LED TO MORE SCRUTINY OF SQUEEGEE KIDS AND ADULTS.
ONE EXAMPLE, THIS VIDEO THE I-TEAM OBTAINED FROM A 76-YEAR-OLD MAN.
HE ASKED NOT TO BE IDENTIFIED, OUT OF FEAR OF RETALIATION.
HE CALLED 911 WHILE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, BLOCKED IN BY TRAFFIC.
>> FORGOT A COUPLE OF GUYS, KIDS , BANGING ON MY VEHICLE.
BARRY: HE CLAIMS TWO SQUEEGEE KIDS DAMAGED HIS CAR AFTER HE DECLINED THEIR OFFER TO WASH HIS WINDOW AND HE REFUSED TO GIVE THEM A DOLLAR.
HE RECORDED THE CONFRONTATION WITH ONE KID WHO WARNED.
>> THINK ABOUT IT.
THINK ABOUT IT.
>> I DON’T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT, IT IS ON CAMERA.
BARRY: RATCHFORD AND ALLEN CALL SUCH INCIDENTS DISRESPECTFUL AND WRONG.
>> I TELL MY REW THAT’S UP HERE, NOBODY IS EVER OBLIGATED TO GIVE US NOTHING.
PEOPLE HAVE BILLS LIKE THE NEXT PERSON DOES.
THEY ARE NOT OBLIGATED TO GIVE US ANYTHING.
BARRY: DEBATE OVER HOW TO HANDLE SQUEEGEE KIDS ISN’T NEW.
IN WBAL’S TAPE ARCHIVES WE FOUND THE CITY COUNCIL GRAPPLING OVER SQUEEGEE KIDS AND SAFETY BACK IN 1985.
>> WE ARE ENCOURAGING KIDS TO PLAY IN TRAFFIC.
IT IS RUSSIAN ROULETTE WITH CARS.
BARRY: BUT IDEAS TRIED IN THE PAST DIDN’T LEAD TO LONG LASTING SOLUTIONS.
JUST LAST YEAR, MAYOR CATHERINE PUGH CREATED THE SQUEEGEE CORPS , POP-UP CAR WASHES WHERE KIDS COULD GET OFF THE STREETS AND STILL MAKE MONEY.
THE PROGRAM LACKED FUNDING.
>> WE DID NOT COME UP WITH A SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION THAT PROVIDED POP UP CAR WASHES EVERY DAY.
IF YOU DON’T HAVE SOMETHING I CAN DO EVERY DAY, I’M GOING TO DO WHAT I NORMALLY DO.
THAT IS WHY THEY GO BACK TO CORNERS.
BARRY: IN AN ATTEMPT TO MOVE SOME OF THE SQUEEGEES FROM THIS WEST BALTIMORE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE CITY INSTALLED FENCING HERE AT HILTON STREET AND GWYNNS FALLS PARKWAY, BUT RESIDENTS SAY IT
ISN’T WORKING.
THE FENCE IS A MAGNET FOR TRASH.
DOWN.
BALTIMORE CITY POLICE TELL US THEY NOW ARE COLLABORAING WITH VARIOUS AGENCIES TRYING TO HANDLE THE SQUEEGEE KID PROBLEM AS AN OUTREACH INITIATIVE , TALKING TO YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT
THEIR NEEDS, INCLUDING FINDING JOBS.
>> THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE FROM UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, AND THEY ARE TRYING TO FIND CREATIVE WAYS TO EARN MONEY WITHOUT GETTING INTO TROUBLE.
BARRY: STILL, POLICE HAVE RECEIVED COMPLAINTS ABOUT SQUEEGEE KIDS DRINKING, DOING DRUGS, AND DISORDERLY CONDUCT.
THEY SAY THEY ARE WATCHING AREAS WHERE PROBLEMS ARE OCCURRING AND TRACKING TROUBLE MAKERS.
FROM JANUARY TO SEPTEMBER, THEY’VE MADE 5 ARRESTS, BUT LOCKING UP THE KIDS AND ADULTS IS A LAST RESORT.
>> WE WANT TO BUILD SUSTAINABILITY FOR THEM SO THEY CAN SUSTAIN THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES IN A MORE PRODUCTIVE WAY.
BARRY: THE SQUEEGEE WOMEN WANT THAT TOO, HOPING TO FIND REGULAR EMPLOYMENT.
BUT UNTIL THEN THEY SAY THIS IS THEIR JOB.
EARNING MONEY AND TRYING TO TEACH THE YOUNGER KIDS MANNERS AND RESPECT.
FOR THE 11 NEWS I-TEAM, I’M BARRY SIMMS.
ANDRE: THAT WAS AN INTERESTING PERSPECTIVE.
ASHLEY: I’VE NEVER SEEN THE WOMEN.
ANDRE: NEITHER HAVE I, AND I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF THEM.
ASHLEY: MAYOR PUGH IS NOW ASKING FOR ABOUT $2 MILLION IN PRIVATE FUNDS FOR EACH OF THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
ANDRE: SHE HOPES TO PLACE 100 SQUEEGEE KIDS IN A JOB TRAINING PROGRAM