A Unique, Vulnerable Position
As the only store in her enclave that opens at an early hour, the business owner is terrified of what could happen any day when she drives up to find a homeless person confronting her on her own property. If the unpleasant sight is not sufficiently offputting for herself and for her customers, the owner said, invariably a foul odor rages through the otherwise still air. Throughout this ordeal, which extends back a number of years, the homeless have become an expensive nuisance. The owner is forced to hire a cleaning crew to blot out the invaders bathroom activities and to restore the sidewalk and the environment to a more palatable state. Pleading, virtually begging, the desperate owner asked today, What can I do?
Placing the Blame
Next stop was the office of the president of the Chamber of Commerce, who also is a City Councilman. His encouragement was scant. Because of court decisions (favoring the homeless), Steve Rose said, the hands of law enforcement, and of city government, are tied. Now I will speak as president of the Chamber. One issue I question is that we have a right to ban smoking in parks and smoking in businesses. Yet, we cannot protect the business owner and the public against incidents like this involving the homeless. Some problems that homeless people cause are health issues. There should be a standard where we can protect people who merely are trying to carry on their normal lives.
Leaks in Protective Shield
Mr. Rose said he would be the first to get an ordinance passed against trespassing by homeless persons. We have to do something to protect the average business owner and the average consumer in our town from being bothered by a nuisance, Mr. Rose said. He related a story to illustrate his belief. Yesterday, I was in a supermarket early in the morning, said the Councilman, a well-known early riser. A homeless man came in. He has been thrown out of the same market many times for petty theft. Yet, yesterday they let him wander around, and they kept an eye on him. If the market tried to be more aggressive, I am sure they would be in trouble.
Identifying a Remedy
Finding a solution should not be difficult or mysterious, said the Councilman. Society needs to change (its attitude toward the homeless population), and the laws need to change, said Mr. Rose. Courts need to understand that protecting the rights of individuals means protecting the rights of the majority.
