scrappe7 wrote:
I knew someone would take this thread there, thanks Frank.

I'm willing to take that chance if it means these people are reported so that the proper authorities can take them in, evaluate them and hopefully give them the help that they need. It surely won't come by doing nothing and simply shrugging my shoulders since "it's just a few people taking shelter and where's the harm in that" as it seems your attitude is.

This gets them off the streets and maybe on the right track so that they aren't calling VVP their home. So good for them, good for the park and good for me as I have one less possible nut job asking me for change, shouting obscenities at me when I ignore them and just bringing down an otherwise beautiful park.

jcboyz wrote:
So its OK for them to shoot up their heroin all day and crash in the park at night? ARE YOU KIDDING ME???

Asif wrote:
Yea lets get rid of those THINGS that make that park so unattractive! Our dogs can only be walked around in gold-plated settings.

I understand people's concerns but where is the compassion? The majority of these individuals probably have several issues but are for the most part harmless. Now if they really are doing something that might harm themselves or others then please do call the authorities.

It's easy to make ourselves believe that we can get them to the social services they need. Have most of you forgotten what the country is going through? Do you really think that the so called safety net can even provide them with what they need? Social services are stretched, or drastically cut or non-existent....and that would be a fair way to describe them before the economic down fall.

I was in Boston not too long ago. Had a few hours to kill in the middle of the night before my train left South Station. I walked around the Back Bay neighborhood. I saw so many homeless people. The most heartbreaking sight was outside this church that proudly proclaimed in a huge sign a mulit-million dollar exterior renovation. Yet all around the perimeter of this place lay 50 or 60 homeless people and mind you it's much colder up there than here. This image stuck in my mind....I wish someone came along pushed open the doors of this holy place and invited them in. Isn't that what holy places are suppose to be? Warm and inviting.

The human condition makes me sad.

Mr_Johnson wrote:
You are seriously delusional. They will be held overnight in a cell, released the next day...

parkman wrote:
I really didn’t want to get into this, but our non-profit are the ones that deal with this on a daily basis. You don’t clean up the human waste on the playground equipment, have to shovel sh.t out of the gardens that the children are allowed to play in, collect all the empty liquor bottles every day, and find empty packets of drugs and needles throughout the park.

I’ve asked our 5 regulars to please throw their bottles in the trash, not to sleep on the picnic table benches (because it prevents others from using them), not leave their cardboard boxes in the gardens or in the gazebo, and did not call the police once until the last week when numerous parents expressed concern over the broken bottles and human waste around the park (and no, it’s not from dogs).

I first called social services, who came out to talk to most of our homeless and none were willing to accept help. Unless they are a threat to themselves or others, they can’t be forced off the streets. The last resort has been to call the police and have them removed from the park. This is not a lack of empathy; we have been polite, caring, and tried to be helpful, but it’s gotten to the point that the quality of life for the vast majority of park users has been impacted.

What we need is a system to help these people who are in a very bad place in their lives…this is not class warfare or elitism, we have been working to improve the quality of life for those in our community and the city needs to find a way to help these individuals too.

parkman wrote:
I really didn’t want to get into this, but our non-profit are the ones that deal with this on a daily basis. You don’t clean up the human waste on the playground equipment, have to shovel sh.t out of the gardens that the children are allowed to play in, collect all the empty liquor bottles every day, and find empty packets of drugs and needles throughout the park.

I’ve asked our 5 regulars to please throw their bottles in the trash, not to sleep on the picnic table benches (because it prevents others from using them), not leave their cardboard boxes in the gardens or in the gazebo, and did not call the police once until the last week when numerous parents expressed concern over the broken bottles and human waste around the park (and no, it’s not from dogs).

I first called social services, who came out to talk to most of our homeless and none were willing to accept help. Unless they are a threat to themselves or others, they can’t be forced off the streets. The last resort has been to call the police and have them removed from the park. This is not a lack of empathy; we have been polite, caring, and tried to be helpful, but it’s gotten to the point that the quality of life for the vast majority of park users has been impacted.

What we need is a system to help these people who are in a very bad place in their lives…this is not class warfare or elitism, we have been working to improve the quality of life for those in our community and the city needs to find a way to help these individuals too.

Mr_Johnson wrote:
Quote:

parkman wrote:
I really didn’t want to get into this, but our non-profit are the ones that deal with this on a daily basis. You don’t clean up the human waste on the playground equipment, have to shovel sh.t out of the gardens that the children are allowed to play in, collect all the empty liquor bottles every day, and find empty packets of drugs and needles throughout the park.

I’ve asked our 5 regulars to please throw their bottles in the trash, not to sleep on the picnic table benches (because it prevents others from using them), not leave their cardboard boxes in the gardens or in the gazebo, and did not call the police once until the last week when numerous parents expressed concern over the broken bottles and human waste around the park (and no, it’s not from dogs).

I first called social services, who came out to talk to most of our homeless and none were willing to accept help. Unless they are a threat to themselves or others, they can’t be forced off the streets. The last resort has been to call the police and have them removed from the park. This is not a lack of empathy; we have been polite, caring, and tried to be helpful, but it’s gotten to the point that the quality of life for the vast majority of park users has been impacted.

What we need is a system to help these people who are in a very bad place in their lives…this is not class warfare or elitism, we have been working to improve the quality of life for those in our community and the city needs to find a way to help these individuals too.

I commend you on your efforts. An intelligent response is refreshing. But again, it backs up my claim that if anything is to get done, it needs to start at the top. The problem is, the top doesn't care. Most cops don't live here, so they really have no interest in this. It's a "grade C" call at best. It's easy to kick the dirt under the rug, but eventually the rug wears out and what's underneath comes to the surface.

I know it's not an easy job, but a lot of us appreciate the thankless job it takes to keep a public park "acceptable" to the general public.

Education is the toughest education!

fat-ass-bike wrote:
At least being self-righteous and applying zero empathy for the homeless is alive and well in the Hamilton / VV Parks area.

These souls have no money, no prospects, don't want to be a victim of crime or out in the open exposed to the elements. Most likely they suffer from a mental health issue or addiction and the governments don't have any programs for those that slip through the cracks of welfare.

Instead of having an online lynching party, the discussion should be on what can this community can do for these people and how can we lobby government and private enterpizes to come to their aid.

If we can spend billions on war and propping up foreign governments, we should be able to provide support for a small minority called the homeless.