Nevius: How helping the homeless can hurt them

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 3/13/8 | C.W. Nevius

[SmithL]

When a homeless man named James Allen Hill overdosed and died in the restroom of the San Francisco library last Friday afternoon, it was a shocker.

A drug overdose in the public library? Really?

"It was an unfortunate and tragic incident for everyone," said library spokeswoman Marcia Schneider. "Especially for the security staff that handled it."

There will be those who will see Hill's death as a failure of the system, another example of how the city neglects its poorest residents.

That's not the story here. The city did anything but neglect Hill. But his case does show a flaw, all right: Chronic and incorrigible offenders avoid the consequences of their actions - aggressive panhandling, public urinating or drunkenness - often through the help of well-intentioned attorneys for homeless advocates.

And instead of being placed in treatment, the offender goes back on the street and continues his destructive behavior.

Hill is a perfect example. A familiar nuisance in the Haight, Hill slept in a garage doorway near the Panhandle and was a constant, drunken annoyance to residents and police. From Aug. 27 of last year to Jan. 22, Hill was cited at least 15 times by officers, mostly for open alcoholic containers on the street and public drunkenness.

Time and again, those citations were dismissed.

[SuziQ]

Of course, there is no question that the advocates believe in what they are doing. They insist they are giving representation to the powerless, standing up for homeless against the legal system.

I think they're doing this so they can boast to their liberal friends about how hard they're working against the big bad police.

[PLMerite]

I wonder how quick they’d be to volunteer if the nutjobs were released into their attorney’s custody?

[SuziQ]

I wonder how quick they’d be to volunteer if the nutjobs were released into their attorney’s custody?

*snort*

[aquila48]

SF is a cesspool...

...what a shame - it’s such a beautiful place.

Thanks liberals!

[Republic of Texas]

Would you give an alcoholic a quart of whiskey? Would you buy crack cocaine for a drug addict? When you feed and house the homeless with no expectation of them to improve their situation you are doing exactly the same thing.