FORT LAUDERDALE – Broward Sheriff ’s Office (BSO) Captain Rick Wierzbicki was in the nation’s capital this week, testifying Tuesday morning before a special Congressional committee hearing called to address violence against America’s homeless.
The hearing’s co-sponsor, the National Coalition for the Homeless, was asked to provide panelists to enter testimony at the hearing in Washington, D.C. Capt. Wierzbicki, who leads the BSO Anti-Bias and Hate Crimes Task Force, has earned a reputation as an expert on homeless violence, and has previously testified before the U.S. Senate. He also testified before the Florida Legislature prior to passage of House Bill 11 in 2010. That legislation enhanced the state’s Hate Crimes statute, and afforded more protection to crime victims who are attacked on the basis of their homelessness.
The anti-violence efforts of Wierzbicki and BSO, and of State Representative Ari Porth on behalf of the homeless are documented in the video “The Power to Pass,” which is posted at sheriff.org.