Who’s being hurt by the homeless issue

While we understand that many homeless individuals are being impacted by their condition, there are many others who are also being impacted.  The homeless and those who hang out around the various camp sites, are creating problems for others as well.

Recently, the wife on a friend of mine suffered a heart attack and was taken to St. Peter Hospital.  Because of the overcrowding caused by the latest version of Covid, she was laid on a gurney and taken into the hallway, where she laid for hours along with several others.  During that time, an apparently homeless man, wandered up and down the hallway, riffling through the belongings of those laying in the hallway.  When he started to take her purse she started yelling an screaming for help.  It was several long minutes before anyone came to assist.  By then the culprit was gone.

Last week, my wife notice her car, sitting in our driveway, had been entered and her glove compartment and center console rummaged through.  The next door neighbor lady said her car had also fallen victim to car prowl, as had several others on our block.

Whether or not these incidents are caused by individuals living in the various camps and motels in the area, or are the result of drug addicts and alcoholics, or just plain thieves using the current police situation to their advantage is not know.

But when criminals know the police won’t respond, and if they did they wouldn’t be arrested and if they were arrested they wouldn’t be put in jail for misdemeanors and if they were they would be out shortly with no bail and no incentive to appear for trial.  Therefore the police won’t respond to such criminal activities.

Our elected officials have tied the hands of our local police.  Recently some of those same officials have been the victim of crimes.  Maybe a whack alongside the head is all they need to see the negatives of their actions.

It won’t help my friend whose wife had to scream for help, or all those on my block who no longer feel safe leaving their cars in their own driveway.  But, maybe they will see that their actions have consequences far beyond helping the poor and downtrodden.