Beggars, homeless, street drinkers & drug users in Sheffield!

[Puggie]

All it does is create displacement amongst the most vulnerable.

 

It does nothing to address the wider social issue I mentioned earlier.

[ANGELFIRE1]

If it's a genuine beggar they will appreciate a coffee and a sandwich. If they just want money they are generally not homeless!

 

 

Problem is that coffee and a sarni will not buy them drugs or ale.

 

Angel1.

[lesserthan1]

It's just laziness for most of them and they need sorting out asap as they seem to be ruling the streets these days.

 

How many people don't want to go to work but have to, probably drink too much or take drugs to get by and have some form of mental health issue but just get on with it? If my work is anything to go on, quite a few.

 

People need to stop making doing nothing but drink on the streets more lucrative than work, then we'll see something happen.

 

So it's no sympathy from me for at least 90% of the tramps in town.

[Mister M]

It's just laziness for most of them and they need sorting out asap as they seem to be ruling the streets these days.

 

How many people don't want to go to work but have to, probably drink too much or take drugs to get by and have some form of mental health issue but just get on with it? If my work is anything to go on, quite a few.

 

People need to stop making doing nothing but drink on the streets more lucrative than work, then we'll see something happen.

 

So it's no sympathy from me for at least 90% of the tramps in town.

 

I don't dispute your claim that there are a lot of people who self medicate to help them function so they can go to work.

I'm not sure how you could make drinking alcohol while sitting on the pavement in all weathers any worse than it is. I just think for many of them, they wouldn't be able to cope with the demands of work....I think it's sad when life reduces you to begging on the streets....I'm sure when they were younger, many of them wouldn't have chosen to do it.

[JNewton69]

There is a guy who begs outside the Co-op in Crookes. We have offered him food and a shower if he wanted to come to our house, which he declined. I have since heard that he has somewhere to live and can't keep pretending to us that he is homeless. He looks sheepish these days. My daughter has seen him with a dog in a different persona begging in the city centre. It seems that it must be profitable as he is making a living out of it. I can think of better ways of earning money than sitting on a concrete floor reading a novel.

 

He's very innovative taking on such risks in the hope of profit. I'm going to shake his hand the next time I see him because we've been told to doff our caps to these entrepreneurial types over the last thirty years or so.

[Operationpig]

I was talking the a local businessman today who has a shop on West Street, he told me that one begger claimed to have earned 300 quid on new years Eve.

Another time someone got their food order wrong so rather then chucking it in the bin he went out to offer it someone on the street and the begger said to him could he give him money instead!...thankfully he didn't.

[Puggie]

It's disappointing that so many comments on here are demeaning towards those who find themselves on the street.

 

You've got to remember that addiction is very personal and many are unable to talk about it openly, not least in a society that continues to demonise and criminalise drug addiction.

[hackey lad]

It's disappointing that so many comments on here are demeaning towards those who find themselves on the street.

 

You've got to remember that addiction is very personal and many are unable to talk about it openly, not least in a society that continues to demonise and criminalise drug addiction.

 

I think most of the comments on here are not about the homeless , but about the people who are pretending to be homeless to get money for drugs/drink , but you will come up for an excuse for that

[pattricia]

I think most of the comments on here are not about the homeless , but about the people who are pretending to be homeless to get money for drugs/drink , but you will come up for an excuse for that

 

I agree. My friend bought a beggar a sandwich and drink instead of giving him money. He threw it casually over his shoulder and the look of disappointment on his face said it all.!

[Eccy Beach]

In a previous job I went out at 6am every Thursday morning with PCSOs and workers from Turning Point's rough sleeper service to have a chat with rough sleepers and see if they could be helped.

 

Things may have changed due to economic downturn, government policy, council cuts etc but I can say with a degree of certainty that 4 years ago if a rough sleeper wanted help Turning Point, The Archer Project and others could get them off the street fairly quickly.

 

Point being, most of the folk asking for money in city centre, aren't homeless, although that doesn't mean they're not without issues. Unfortunately there are some for whom it is at best a lifestyle and at worst a profession.

 

If you want to help, as I'm sure has been said on here many times, give the money to one of the local charities.