News Jun 12, 2008 at 4:00 am

Couch Wars

Comments

1
Uggh. I know exactly who this guy is, and his name. He's always wandering around Hawthorne in the area of the Bagdad theater... bumping into people, walking in circles, etc.

My sense is that he probably has been offered treatment in some form, and has completely rejected it or totally ignored it... and since he's not violent to himself or others, there is absolutely nothing you can do.

I can be pretty sure the water hose trick isn't gonna work. Try to get a restraining order. That's really the only thing I can think of. I believe that, if you can demonstrate that you feel like you're in immediate danger, one can be issued the same day. And then if he comes within a block, that's an automatic police response and jail for him.

Maybe he'll have a temporary moment of clarity and accepts treatment at some point.
2
Why should he respond to a restraining order, or any number of calls to the cops? He wants a safe place to sleep, and they would give it to him.

Although it is anti-intuitive, perhaps the best course of action would be to find a better place for him to sleep. To create an enemy of anyone is to deal with a situation of enmity. To offer compassion is likely to create an ally.

Steve K

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