[ChrisTinaBruce]

Originally Posted by jim@jedward.com

correct. Just ask san francisco how going soft on homelessness is working out.

bingo!

[bobeaston]

Originally Posted by golfnut

Why hasn't the developer issued a no trespass order for their property to neighboring police departments?

Over on Nextdoor there is a post about the CDD doing exactly that. They supposedly have issued a no trespass order for Sumter County Sherriff to use in the area immediately north of the Chitty Chatty bridge and are working on one for the Wildwood Police who have jurisdiction immediately south of the bridge.

[BlueStarAirlines]

Originally Posted by ThirdOfFive

There's a guy with a bushy black beard that I've seen maybe three times; twice at Publix (Spanish Plaines) and once at another time. He is a musician; plays an accordion and I think guitar too. Quite talented. He has a money collection box by him and the times I've seen him, he's had a woman with a child (woman and child change), with a sign that they need help. I enjoyed his music and put a few dollars into his box.

Pretty classy way to panhandle. I give the guy credit both for originality and for the (assumed) fact he's using his talent to help others.

They are not playing....its a scam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPc30uwXrTw

Police across America warn of scammers pretending to play the violin for money - Classic FM

[Worldseries27]

Originally Posted by elevatorman

maybe someone could contact their church and ask for help. A shelter may be available for homeless in the area.

in our various liturgical services how many times do we implore our lord and father to grant us mercy

[VickiF]

Originally Posted by LivingOnSunshine

In the last 72ish hours multiple calls have been made by residents to the Sumter Co. Sheriff’s office and Wildwood Police (who have been timely and compassionate in their responses) regarding ongoing sightings of homeless persons (with and without shopping carts ) crossing the Chitty Chatty bridge at various times of the day and night, wandering the streets of The Village as well as the MMP along Chitty Chatty and Bradford. Last evening’s observations included one of the individuals discarding empty liquor bottles as well as an empty Rx bottle in the streets as well as frightening a woman walking her dog. Both law enforcement agencies have told residents that the area near the bridge where it appears the persons are camping is owned by The Villages and therefore is private property. By law, the authorities must have a no trespassing order on file from TV in order to take action. They do not currently possess such an order. Calls to Community Watch and Community Standards have ended with, “it’s not our jurisdiction.” The CDD is now engaged and looking into who is responsible for the area around CC bridge and the woods/preserve. So for all those who paid a premium to live near the preserve, lucky you to get a front row seat of a homeless encampment as well as having these individuals who clearly need mental health support roam the streets of your Village making the residents and guests feel unsafe and (presently) twisting in the wind and unsupported by The Villages. Godspeed…

The way things are going economically it won’t be too long before some Villagers are in the encampment.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Yeah. That's the ticket. Oh by the way...

when they leave, where do you figure they'll GO? Because - they have to go somewhere. There's no mass transit around here, they don't have homes to go to, no one's mentioned sending them to any shelters or even any shelters available to receive them. They have no transportation of their own (they'd be sleeping in it if they did), so they can't go any further than they can walk.

No idea how they ended up there in the first place, but it's kinda a good idea to have a plan, before you implement a response.

Are you saying that, if they are breaking the law, the police shouldn't make them leave?

[ThirdOfFive]

Originally Posted by joelfmi

[I live in a major US city, and I frequently see homeless people in the streets with their pants down, talking gibberish to themselves, yelling at passersby's, and violently rocking back and forth sitting at a bus station.

They look like they need serious mental help and pose a threat to regular citizens. So, it would make sense to put them in some kind of mental institution, right?

What's preventing the city from putting them in mental institutions for treatment? To clarify, I'm not asking for all homeless people to be institutionalized, just the very obviously mentally unstable ones and the one's not mentally ill that able be able to work should live in public housing taking them off the streets
Unless one is an immediate danger to themselves or someone else, no one can make them do a thing. They have the right to refuse treatment, including medication. That is way the law is written this needs be changed and rewritten. I am in no way in agreement of letting these people live on the street they need care.

Three things.

1) The city cannot commit a person (which is what is being discussed here) to an institution for mental health treatment. Only the courts can do that, and then only after the person undergoes a mental health evaluation which can be involuntary but can last only a few days. Commitments must be court-ordered, recommended by appropriate professionals, and are reviewed on a regular basis for continued need (six months, I believe, here in Florida). The entire process needs to be set in motion by a petition to the court for commitment, and the person being committed (or not) has the right to counsel.

2) You'd have "advocates" up the wazoo milling around if you started rounding up the homeless, evaluating them, and sending them off to various institutions.

3) Many of those institutions no longer exist, being torn down or repurposed for other uses (often, prisons).

It is a very tough nut to crack, made so by shortsighted "advocates" who all too often are high on idealism but woefully lacking in knowledge.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by ThirdOfFive

Three things.

1) The city cannot commit a person (which is what is being discussed here) to an institution for mental health treatment. Only the courts can do that, and then only after the person undergoes a mental health evaluation which can be involuntary but can last only a few days. Commitments must be court-ordered, recommended by appropriate professionals, and are reviewed on a regular basis for continued need (six months, I believe, here in Florida). The entire process needs to be set in motion by a petition to the court for commitment, and the person being committed (or not) has the right to counsel.

2) You'd have "advocates" up the wazoo milling around if you started rounding up the homeless, evaluating them, and sending them off to various institutions.

3) Many of those institutions no longer exist, being torn down or repurposed for other uses (often, prisons).

It is a very tough nut to crack, made so by shortsighted "advocates" who all too often are high on idealism but woefully lacking in knowledge.

Exactly!

All I could do is commit a person for 72 hours of observation, and I better have good cause or I'd be facing a civil suit. Only did it once in 35 years----and that was a person who claimed to be Jesus Christ and needed to "harvest" 6 units of AB neg blood to get back to heaven---seemed like it fit the definition of a threat to himself or others

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by bobeaston

Over on Nextdoor there is a post about the CDD doing exactly that. They supposedly have issued a no trespass order for Sumter County Sherriff to use in the area immediately north of the Chitty Chatty bridge and are working on one for the Wildwood Police who have jurisdiction immediately south of the bridge.

Sheriff's were in the area yesterday morning.

[Boston-Sean]

A million plus people per year pouring over our southern border have to live somewhere.

How many tents do you think could fit on that polo field?

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by LivingOnSunshine

In the last 72ish hours multiple calls have been made by residents to the Sumter Co. Sheriff’s office and Wildwood

Have you received any updates on the situation?

[Byte1]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

The Villages is 2A NRA Fandom territory. Folks in this very forum will be the first to tell you about all the firearms they own, how often they practice on the range, how they learned in the military and know their way around this and that firearm, and no one should ever dare cross them because they are legally carrying and not afraid to protect themselves. Surely no one in our community would have reason to fear some random homeless guy.

I realize that you are using sarcasm, being facetious but anyone that has a CCW permit or has REAL experience with firearms and owns them, knows that even in Florida you won't just fire a weapon at an unarmed person, even if they are exhibiting irrational behavior. To suggest such an idea is ridiculous or just ignorant of the subject. Decent gun owners take firing a weapon at a human very seriously and always think of the repercussions both legally and mentally. I would venture to suggest that most of us take gun ownership very seriously would always prefer to find other venues of legal action before taking such drastic action as discharging a firearm at another human.
The subject being discussed is the possible deterioration of our community by vagrants. I've already read of recent problems of squatters in vacant homes in the Villages. If it happens in one area of the Villages, it is not a far fetched assumption that it can't happen in your neighborhood. I agree with those that suggest that these homeless need to be ushered on their way, and anyone with mental issues should be forced into some form of structured treatment if they cannot cope and refuse to find more suitable areas to populate than where they are not wanted. Freedom is fine as long as that freedom does not cost others that do not wish to participate in the activities of what is being forced upon them. Being homeless is unfortunate, but should not be a permanent issue. There is so much help available for those in need that one should never have to remain homeless or hungry very long in this country. Remember the old saying that "excuses are like *****s, everyone has one." If they ask for a handout, then they are enslaving themselves to someone else. If they ask for a hand UP, then it should be willingly provided even if it is nothing more than giving them directions to those that do that for a living. Villagers are constantly organizing food drives for local food banks and soup kitchens. Villagers are not bad for wishing to enjoy the fruits of their years of labor here in the Villages without worrying about those that wish to ride free. Philosophy does not better the situation. Reality and action works, even if it is not pretty. If they are ordered to move on, then they need to move on. No exceptions. If they are asking for help, then they should also be willing to take directions of those that are willing to take time to assist them.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Boston-Sean

A million plus people per year pouring over our southern border have to live somewhere.

How many tents do you think could fit on that polo field?

If the homeless move to The Villages in significant numbers, I will be moving out of The Villages.

[Marine1974]

How do you know liquor bottles and prescription bottles are left by homeless people?

Every day I have passed by, a team of pan handlers have been at the corner where Cracker Barrel is heading toward Ocala. I have watched as the people's (look like a faimily) shifts change and they get into their cars and drive away. This is their tax free job. Paying pan handlers just feeds into the scams. It is a problem and further promotes the industry. Sure the police are aware. I wonder to what level they would protect their claim on that corner.