Heartless Cop Tickets Homeless Navy Vet For Retrieving A Doughnut From A Garbage Can!

Okay, I read the OP and I read another more detailed article linked out of the first one the OP links to. To play devil's advocate here for a moment, why are we blaming the cop??

Does someone here think cops actually LIKE to write people tickets? (Well..I couple I came across over the years might have gotten off on it a bit much..but most were just doing a job. ..and don't ask how many. Trucking used to be different) It's paperwork and cops hate paper. It's screwing with the homeless and cops hate screwing with the homeless. They're loud, obnoxious, usually know as much as a newbie lawyer for being a pain in the butt and have nothing better to do than show up in court..thereby costing the cop a part of what's likely to be a day off.

I.E.... The cop almost certainly didn't WANT to do this. The story clearly says in both places I read, citizen complaints caused it. Business owners with trashed alleys or whatever the area is around their dumpsters. So what's a cop to do? There's a guy digging food. The Cop has been told to catch SOMEONE at it, because his superiors are being bitched at about it....and who knows what citizens who complained may be watching to see him NOT do something. Then the cop is a "pig" to another segment of the population and a star on a video on OTHER websites, instead of this one ...for NOT doing his job.

Go picket the businesses that think their trash is too good for the homeless and actually called the cops to have them out there wasting time on tickets in the first place. Help the Business see through some protest that sharing is a virtue ..or at least not ASKING people to be busted for taking what has been tossed is showing some human decency.

Just my two cents.

I saw a NYC cop who thought nobody was looking take his own money and buy socks and shoes for a homeless man, a tourist took a pic and he got so many likes on FB and prayers, people loved him, then you take a real ***** like this guy and it makes you remember how most cops REALLY ARE.

If on the face of it, it sound cruel. Then it probably is cruel.

I liked the old days when most cops although they could lift a ton, many couldn't spell it. They were hired more for their size and their ability to handle themselves in a tight situation. They didn't have or need mace and stun guns, and it certainly didn't take four or five of them armed with those weapons to get some pregnant woman out of her vehicle. These young cops today strut around wearing their sun glasses even at night, and with so much gel in their hair it makes wearing a uniform hat an impossibility. Adding to this, many have the attitude that they themselves are above the law, and can do no wrong!

Wats a couple bucks for a sandwich fer petes sake?
better than a ticket.....cops

Just when I thought I could not hear another American cop story that lacks intelligence and heart. As a former Police officer (even though another country) here's how I would have managed the situation.

Yes Police have a job to do and on any particular shift you can be called out to attend jobs that leave you shaking your head. Should I have been called to manage a homeless person digging through a rubbish bin looking for food - and making a mess while in the process...

I would have spoken to him and asked him what he was doing. I would have gently explained that he was making a mess and stealing from someones garbage bin (the law is about technicalities). I would have asked him to stop making a mess and record his details and give him a warning. Before I left I would have given him whatever money I had in my pocket for food.

That would be a win win situation. The Police officer can write the job report and deal with it again and keep the complainant and the Sergeant happy. If the situation continued I would still manage it as gently as possible and I would even suggest to the garbage bin owner to not leave the garbage where it can be easily accessed and even lock it up if possible. So the court system would not be clogged with unnecessary and needless time consuming cases.

As far as I am concerned it is not a crime to be hungry and being homeless I imagine being hungry is a part of being homeless.

Much Peace...to all the homeless people who have to interact with Police who have no intellectual capacity to manage sensitive situations with cognitive dissonance...

I feel sorry for the guy being so hungry he had to rummage in the bin for food.

However it seems he doesn't pick up after himself and was littering.
Its about picking up after yourself. Being homeless isn't a license to be a slob.

I've had people rummage through mine and they're pulling stuff out dumping it all over my yard. Its inconsiderate. I shouldn't have to go out and pick it all up.
On that big spring cleanup day in may when you can put anything by the curb, its a mess everywhere. I understand people throw out good stuff. I don't really care why they want the stuff. One really pissed me off. I was watching out the window and a woman was picking up my bin to take! I couldn't believe it. I had to go out and beg for it back. Obviously that was the container and not what I was throwing away. She still kept putting it in her car. I had to yell at her to put it back its not garbage it's the garbage bin. It was empty, so its not like she wanted to take it home and rummage, she just wanted the bin.

I read an article about this earlier this week. I don't know if it was mentioned or not, But, . . Go have a look and you will find that the local government has made it an illegal act to take anything out of a trash can. In Addition, . .. it is ILLEGAL to give a homeless person AYTHING in that town. DID YOU READ THAT PART? . ... It is F***Ing Pathetic. How about the part that said what made it worse was the fact that they had a soup line that day and he should have gone there if he was hungry. I give unfortunate people food all of the time. I am considered a criminal. I continue to do so. I DARE Anyone to F**K with me on that.

P.S. . . I was in a very bad spot in my life at one time. I feel like I need to pay it forward. I am morally required to do so.

Persoanlly I'd buy him a hot meal . Then teach him how to live on the grind.

They dont even think about what this might do to this man Mentally , After years of Service you get a ticket because you take a donut out of a trashcan because you cannot afford it .... how would you feel.

Unbelieveable , i must be dreaming because this is FUBAR.

TheGreazel.

What are the cops going to do if he doesn't pay it? Come to his house and pick him up?

I'm pleased that the overall consensus on the replies to this thread leaned toward compassion for this man and his unfortunate circumstances.

However, I had to go back to Huffpo and reread the article several times. I still fail to see where it said the man was littering. It is possible to dig through a garbage can (disturbing its contents) without littering. Too bad the actual citation wasn't posted. The verbiage of it would possibly give a clearer picture of what actually transpired. Regardless, as so many here pointed out, there was a number of ways this cop could've handled the situation better without writing a ticket!

And to those self-righteous pricks denigrating the homeless and hungry for their demise, SHAME ON YOU. How many of you contribute to your community food pantries or regional food banks? Last year in my city, donations were down 90%...and the overall economy here is rather strong.

Though I've never been homeless or had to dumpster dive for food, I have known some very hard times in my life with no one to help me through them. Donating canned goods and cash is something I feel like I have a moral obligation to do several times throughout the year, because there will always be someone who needs a helping hand. I know of no human that deserves the indignation of having to survive off the contents of garbage cans!

This world is a much, much different place than what it was when I grew up idolizing Lassie and Leave it to Beaver. We rarely ever locked our doors back then. There was no need to!
So it's rather disturbing that so many people today in AmeriKa - especially "Generation X-ers" - suffer from normalcy bias and refuse to see what is going to happen much sooner, than later. Because so long as any of us are beholden to the Money Masters, we are ALL prime targets for TPTB and their master plan for our demise.

Godspeed to those willing to defend and help the downtrodden.

Here are some thoughts to ponder on:

Those in control can find any reason to justify anything, no matter how wrong it is.

Bad governments find any and all excuses to make you guilty of something.

Victory for an evil government is when the reasons given for destroying freedoms sound good to most of the people.

An evil government gains more control with each freedom that is either willingly surrendered or taken away.

Evil has to be fought or it eventually takes over everything and everyone.

The loss of morality is the gain of evil.

President of the Houston Police Officers’ Union:

It’s police officers responding to citizens’ complaints about someone removing garbage from their garbage can, and leaving it on the ground. It’s creating a mess.”

I wouldn't want that in my street either.

Everybody breaking their hearts because 24 years ago the guy left the Navy after serving 9 years, I don't see how that gives him any more deserving sympathy than other homeless folks. The heading of the OP is overly dramatic and none of us were there to see what exactly went on.

Concerned about wider issues of homeless people? Yep, I get that, but cries of 'heartless' by people who weren't there at the time involves making a lot of assumptions. Some homeless people are not the angels some people think they are, like all of society, some people are good, some are less so.

Calling people pricks for questioning the background of the story is reactionary at best.

Originally posted by Pelvi
What are the cops going to do if he doesn't pay it? Come to his house and pick him up?

And that, right there, is the correct question.

When he doesnt pay it, they will issue a bench warrant. Next time he is out searching for food and gets stopped by a cop, they will arrest him based on that warrant. He will go to jail. Another 'undesirable' off the street and out of the public's eye.

And so it goes.

Originally posted by captaintyinknots

Originally posted by Pelvi
What are the cops going to do if he doesn't pay it? Come to his house and pick him up?

And that, right there, is the correct question.

When he doesnt pay it, they will issue a bench warrant. Next time he is out searching for food and gets stopped by a cop, they will arrest him based on that warrant. He will go to jail. Another 'undesirable' off the street and out of the public's eye.

And so it goes.

I would never wish jail for anyone because they hunted food in a trash can, it's a waste of public funds locking them up for a start.
Don't usually see that kind of thing much in the UK though, we have tax payer funded hostels, cash/housing benefits and food kitchens, oh how terrible our 'socialist' society is, I'm almost ashamed, hopefully we'll see the light and stop these wasteful welfare services soon.

Uhmm..
Perhaps... feed him?
Give him a hand?
Aren't you guys all proud of your army and calling your soldiers "heroes"?
At least be consistent...

reply to post by grainofsand


Thing is, the help used to be there. For all the crying about welfare in america right now, the amount of people out on the street sure is on the rise.

As I said in my very first post in this thread, anyone who wants to see what is really going on when it comes to the homeless in america should spend some time reading about what Gulliani did in NY. That is the model that is being followed nationwide now.

As for the waste of public funds locking him up, you have to remember, in america, the prison system is going privatized. Where you see a waste of public funds they see profit.

Originally posted by captaintyinknots
reply to post by grainofsand

 

Thing is, the help used to be there. For all the crying about welfare in america right now, the amount of people out on the street sure is on the rise.

As I said in my very first post in this thread, anyone who wants to see what is really going on when it comes to the homeless in america should spend some time reading about what Gulliani did in NY. That is the model that is being followed nationwide now.

As for the waste of public funds locking him up, you have to remember, in america, the prison system is going privatized. Where you see a waste of public funds they see profit.

I'm with you on that mate, it was shocking from what I read about it.
I know we Brits get attacked a lot on ATS for being a 'socialist' nation, but I'm glad we have the welfare services we do. There's a big percentage of homeless people with mental health problems as well, if the state doesn't help them then who will. I'm happy for my taxes going towards stuff like that.
Our cops seem a bit less mean than yours as well, if the guy had been fishing stuff out of a trash can here he probably would have just got a formal caution and been told to move on.
I'm not saying 'my country is better than yours' at all, far from it, but in some ways it seems to be much more difficult to get by if you're down on your ass in the US.