Hello, Tom,
I'm one of the many 'lurkers' here.  I read the messages in this echo just 
about every day but almost never reply to any of them or post an original 
e.
This is an exception.  I just wanted to tell you that your messages are a cut 
above many of those I see in here (from law enforcement personnel and those 
in other occupations as well).  I enjoy reading them and I've formed a great 
deal of respect for you through them.
 TR> I've seen quite a bit of the "dumpster diving", as Don puts it. Some
 TR> of the addicts will do anything for their next fix, to include
 TR> armed robbery, but some of the street people appear to be honest.
I've had some dealings over the past three years with 'street people' or 
'transients' as our local paper calls them.  Like you, I've seen all kinds.
Our town is not on an interstate highway, so the number of transients here is 
lower than in some of our neighboring cities (such as Pensacola).  The ones 
I've met here are usually alcoholics in various stages of the disease.  Some 
no longer want to do anything but drink.  They go from one pay phone to 
another hunting for forgotten coins.  They panhandle for 'change'.  They 
scrape coins out of fountains in the park.  When they have enough for a quart 
of cheap beer (99 cents currently), they go and get it, and try to find a 
place where they can drink it.  When it's gone, they start over.  They don't 
even bother to walk over to the Salvation Army at 5 p.m. for the free evening 
meal.
I've bought a beer for some of them, but I usually offer to buy them some 
food or give them a gift certificate for food.
You need to take what these folks tell you with a grain of salt, but I've 
talked to enough of them now to be able to piece together what our police 
force looks like to them and how the police actually treat them.  Some of the 
officers are polite and compassionate, but firm in insuring that they obey 
the various laws that apply to them.  Some officers will occasionally look 
the other way if one of them seems to deserve a little help (sleeping in some 
out-of-the-way place, etc.).  But there are a few officers who seem to 
delight in harassing them and will even arrest them and lie about what they 
were doing.
During the summer, there is a concerted effort to drive they out of the parks 
(pressure from the nearby merchants).  Three or four patrol cars will race 
into the park, across the grass, and converge on the gazebo where three or 
four transients are sitting.  If any of them are drinking, they are forced to 
pour it out. Polaroid photographs of them are taken and they are required to 
show identification.  Data sheets are filled out on each of them.  Any of 
them leaning on a bench or appearing to be lying down are arrested for 
trespassing.
I'm not talking about folks who are creating a disturbance.  They are just 
sitting there out of the sun.
But enough of that.
I hope that you and the rest of the fine officers who participate in this 
echo stay safe and get home on your own two feet every night!
Regards,
  Jim
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