Day laborers in Stamford say they are being intimidated and mistreated by police officers.

The city has a special section set up for day laborers to gather and wait for work at the intersection of State and Lafayette streets. It is common to see police officers patrolling the area and moving day laborers from different areas to the designated site. However, some day laborers claim that moving process isn?t always calm.

?They push us, they call us garbage,? says one day laborer, who wished to remain anonymous.

A member of the city?s Board of Representatives, Philip Berns, claims he was trying to speak with day laborers about their concerns Tuesday when police forced him to move his car. Berns claims when he moved his car, he was ticketed for not wearing his seatbelt and for not having a front license plate. However, Berns feels he was targeted because he was talking with day laborers.

The city?s public safety director, William Callion, says all tickets are given for reasons. He adds that if anyone, including day laborers, are mistreated by police they need to file a formal complaint. He says the department doesn?t check for documentation when complaints are made about police officers.

Berns says the problems between the police and day laborers involve just a few officers.