HOUSTON – Three Houston Police divisions on Tuesday launched a zero-tolerance initiative against the homeless. 

Police officers, some on horseback and bicycle, launched the department’s crackdown early in the morning.

Most of the homeless indviduals were warned to pack up their things and move along.

“They give me a warning, next time take me to jail,” said Timothy who is homeless.

HPD says it is not targeting the homeless, just trying to crack down on crime committed by people who happen to be homeless.

One woman was ticketed because she had an open can of beer right next to where she was sleeping.

She claimed the beer was not hers.

Some who know about the new initiative call it HPD politics, while others said it was a good move for safety. But whatever people said about the program, it was not a secret to those living on the streets.

“Everybody knows there is going be a sweep. The police wants to make chief, so he's going to use the homeless to do it,” said Jesse, who is one of Houston’s homeless.

Panhandling often aggravates those working or travelling downtown. And some residents don’t believe the homeless should be there at all.

“There are jobs out there for anybody. It’s freeloading to me," said Chad Snipes, a Houston resident.

Snipes supports a police roundup of the people living on the streets, but homeless advocates argue that the actions are a waste of time.

“To pick people up and put them in jail, only to release them a couple of hours or days later to be homeless again, is not the most effective or efficient way to deal with the problem,” said Anthony Love, who is member of the Coalition for the Homeless.

“We’ve been inundated with complaints from residents and businesses around the Pierce Elevated,” said HPD Captain Greg Fremin.

“We’ve had bricks thrown thru windows to steal mountain bikes. We’ve had wheels stolen off vehicles we have parked in lots,” said Capt. Fremin.

Investigators believe one of the biggest sources of the crime problem is the bus station where an estimated 650 parolees are dropped off every month.

“You have a large portion of the homeless population that are not just your average people down on their luck. A lot of these folks are ex-convicts, they’re rapists, robbers, paroled sex-offenders,” said Capt. Fremin.

So for the next few months, HPD officers say they’ll do what they can to protect the area, not from the homeless, but from criminals.