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

[1978 14]

I rarely vist the city cetre these days and on my journey into town on Sunday didn't come across any beggars, nor did I see any as I went up to Ringinglow and back down Ecclesall Road. Sadly, I did as I walked down The Moor to where my car was parked.

 

Having seen the thousands in the Half Marathon, and knowing how many more are walking, jogging and cycling in the Peak District and elsewhere every day, I couldn't help feeling these poor souls would be better off going for a walk/run/cycle ride, than squatting in shop doorways. Except there's no money in it.

 

There are many jobs needing to be done. Surely it's not beyond the wit of man, or woman, to get them off the pavements and into something better for them, and for all of us? So many charities need help. So many older people could use assistance with gardens, or just having company. So much litter needs clearing. So many dry stone walls needing repair. There are so many other tasks we leave, hoping the council or someone else will do them, but they don't.

 

How can those held down by despair be brought back into society? It's easy to ask the questions. It's hard to find answers that actually work.

[pattricia 574]

Years ago when I worked in A & E a lot came in drunk or drugged up. Some assaulted the nurses and even stole the used syringes out of the bin. They held the queue up while genuine patients had to wait to be seen.

[sgtkate 10]

On Friday night on Division Street i counted 13 male beggars all within 600 yards, all English speaking not "foreigners" as is usually reported in here. I couldn't believe what cheek they had dotted about. I think it is about time the Council took some sort of action to remove them from the streets if they're begging or ensure that they get overnight accommodation. I do believe that genuine homeless people need support but beggars "can you spare some change!" repeated by 13 people in 600 yards is unacceptable.

 

Remove them from the streets and put them where? I've honestly never understood why begging is illegal, harassment absolutely but asking people for change? Same it's technically illegal to be homeless, can someone explain how that one works to me if you can't actually afford to have a house because you don't have a fixed address so now can't claim any sort of support and clearly you don't have enough money to live somewhere else you'd be living somewhere...

 

I do agree with the many comments on here about supporting homelessness charities rather than giving money directly to beggars but, honestly the lack of empathy some of you have is astounding and I wager the majority on here saying 'just move them on' do absolutely nothing to support the charities trying to do just that but somehow expect the problem to magically disappear. What is your suggestion for dealing with it? Lock them up costing tens of thousands of pounds each year? Something else? What?

Edited April 12, 2017 by sgtkate

[SkylinePhoto 10]

POLICE OFFICER TO PATROL THE MOOR TO TACKLE BEGGING AND OTHER ISSUES

 

The Moor's owner, Aberdeen Asset Management, has now funded a dedicated police officer to patrol the street and tackle begging and other issues.

 

https://www.facebook.com/onlinesheffield/posts/1665158330179702:0

[Puggie 10]

All it does is create displacement amongst the most vulnerable.

 

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

[ANGELFIRE1 10]

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 10]

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 1,599]

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 10]

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 10]

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 10]

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 3,935]

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