I've found the homeless fall into a few categories. Some of them are mentally ill, and should be institutionalized. This does not mean it's safe to be around them. The second is the temporarily homeless. They're not on the street for more than a month or two. I lived in my truck for several months when I was in my twenties and worked day labor jobs. It was my choice, and I had a ball. The third group are people who don't want to be found because they have felony warrants out on them. The fourth group are drug addicts and alcoholics. Alcoholics aren't usually that dangerous. NEVER trust a junkie.
Amateurs REALLY shouldn't work with the homeless. If someone wants to work with the homeless, they should first team up with someone with street smarts who can spot a con artist and undergo an apprenticeship for a year or so.
I so agree — must know the con games.
A homeless woman came to our church a few years ago. She was going to help work for shelter, and that worked ok for a month or two. She ended up talking an older couple into letting her sleep at their home, and would slink in late and leave early so they couldn’t confront her. Finally one night they stayed up and told her to leave, right then.
The priest ended up putting out a restraining order on her, to keep her off church property altogether, and several times the police came to church and arrested her!
She told a slick story and was very convincing.