Home Is Where the Car Is

We laugh and jest throughout the never-ending dialogue until I broach the subject of homeless policy, which once again leads us to Frank Jordan.

"He's a fuckin' dummy," says the Emperor. "I used to speak to Frank Jordan when he was a sergeant in the Community Relations Department. He was no more interested in community relations then than he is now. I've known him for 20 years, and he's on my shit list."

The Emperor is laughing, but it's no joke. In fact, questioning city policy is essential to his survival. As I rise to leave, he offers one last nugget of truth obtained from years of playing cat and mouse with the police.

"How can you say to someone, 'Can you please get out of your vehicle so we can tow it because it's abandoned?' " he says. "If you're in it, how can it be abandoned?