Author Topic: Street begging and being homeless  (Read 12583 times)

jamesm

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 794
Street begging and being homeless
« on: February 25, 2018, 02:16:54 PM »
I have just read a report by the Police in Ely, Cambridgeshire and they state that in that town there are no genuine rough sleepers and that the "homeless" (their speech marks) are deceiving people. They are urging people not to give them money.
Given that begging is still an offence under the Vagrancy Act  1824 and deception is illegal under the Criminal Justice Fraud and Theft) Act 2001 do you think that they should be arresting these people?
Your views please.

Phil

  • Account Closed
  • *
  • Posts: 32653
Re: Street begging and being homeless
« Reply #1 on: February 25, 2018, 02:44:39 PM »
James


The thing is many of them would be glad of a  bed and a free meal, also if the authorities went for a policy of no tolerance,  arresting all the beggars on the streets the lock ups and courts would soon be full. Then you have the problem of what do you do with them once you have them. The majority of them couldn't pay any fines imposed and we haven't the prison space to lock them up and if we did they have got to be fed and looked after. So do you suggest we build more prisons for them? I'm sure there are Councils all over the UK that would like this problem solved for them
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

Edmund Fifield

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15821
Re: Street begging and being homeless
« Reply #2 on: February 25, 2018, 02:59:52 PM »
On Margate Sea front one has set up his tent in the police car park.Hes been there over a week with a note to give 50p for dog food for his animal ;D ;D
Make every day a day to remember
Because this ain't no rehearsal
And you ain't coming back

frederick

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 22923
Re: Street begging and being homeless
« Reply #3 on: February 25, 2018, 03:23:19 PM »
I think hard up people have free money of the councils for pet food and vet fees. If they were illegals they would be fed and wetered in a warm secure building. But as as been said some chose to live that way it isn't the the thing to do. And I always think they have or should have a caring mother somewhere.    :-\
Failure to Prepare is to Prepare to Fail

Phil

  • Account Closed
  • *
  • Posts: 32653
Re: Street begging and being homeless
« Reply #4 on: February 25, 2018, 03:34:09 PM »
All professional beggars know that certain people will always give them money if they have a child or a dog with them when they beg, pass them by. Though I am an animal lover I find it strange that some people will give readily when animals are involved but those same people will walk past a destitute person on the streets without a second thought.
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

jamesm

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 794
Re: Street begging and being homeless
« Reply #5 on: February 25, 2018, 03:49:19 PM »
James


The thing is many of them would be glad of a  bed and a free meal, also if the authorities went for a policy of no tolerance,  arresting all the beggars on the streets the lock ups and courts would soon be full. Then you have the problem of what do you do with them once you have them. The majority of them couldn't pay any fines imposed and we haven't the prison space to lock them up and if we did they have got to be fed and looked after. So do you suggest we build more prisons for them? I'm sure there are Councils all over the UK that would like this problem solved for them
Phil,[size=78%] are you saying is that if enough people commit a crime and it then becomes too expensive to prosecute them and punish them if they're found guilty then society should just ignore it and allow them to carry on breaking the law? This is a relatively modern phenomena. Of course there has always been the odd beggar about but growing up in the 50s and 60s I hardly ever saw a beggar in the street and times were a lot harder then than they are now.[/size]
A police spokesman said that they had identified about 600 beggars in Cambridgeshire and those in Ely had been offered housing and support and said none were genuinely homeless and that they were Opportunists.

roy one

  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 28322
Re: Street begging and being homeless
« Reply #6 on: February 25, 2018, 04:39:32 PM »
two or three weeks ago a report in the paper said that the police had picked up a beggar on the streets and he was found to have on his person £250.000 in cash  ill see if I can find the report
each day is a blessing and I bless each day when it comes

Phil

  • Account Closed
  • *
  • Posts: 32653
Re: Street begging and being homeless
« Reply #7 on: February 25, 2018, 06:00:15 PM »
James


What I am saying is, in modern society there should be no reason for anyone to beg, the government of the day should make it a priority that no one is forced to do so and if we ever reach that point then perhaps the police will do their job and keep moving beggars on as they used to at one time. The way things are we just haven't got the infrastructure to handle the number of beggars out there.


I don't really want to bring politics into this because I think all governments up to the present are responsible for the situation we have today, but I have to say that this government has indeed made matters worse and seem determined to make things worse with their cut backs.
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

roy one

  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 28322
Re: Street begging and being homeless
« Reply #8 on: February 25, 2018, 06:18:44 PM »

days gone by we called them tramps and they would get moved on by the police


its said that one in five are home less but most are conmen trying to make easy money
each day is a blessing and I bless each day when it comes

jamesm

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 794
Re: Street begging and being homeless
« Reply #9 on: February 25, 2018, 07:25:18 PM »



its said that one in five are home less but most are conmen trying to make easy money
Which is exactly what the Police report said.

Scipio

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9574
Re: Street begging and being homeless
« Reply #10 on: February 25, 2018, 09:42:40 PM »

James


The thing is many of them would be glad of a  bed and a free meal, also if the authorities went for a policy of no tolerance,  arresting all the beggars on the streets the lock ups and courts would soon be full. Then you have the problem of what do you do with them once you have them. The majority of them couldn't pay any fines imposed and we haven't the prison space to lock them up and if we did they have got to be fed and looked after. So do you suggest we build more prisons for them? I'm sure there are Councils all over the UK that would like this problem solved for them


Phil , after watching umpteen interviews and documentaries , a lot of these so called beggars  are there because of their own circumstances . For example parents not agreeing with  their use of drugs at home  , not seeing eye to eye with their parents expectations . Umpteen issues are involved with these people and I really think that the large percentage of these people being on the streets is of their own doing . Considering the way of life 50/60 yrs ago was nowhere near as accommodating as it is now , how come
this situation has arisen , people years ago realised what they had or had'nt and accepted it and got on with it . The  system  in this country is better now than its ever been . You can see that with news about people who want to get out of the rut , first thing they say is with the help of XYZ . Phil the other point you raise is about the overcrowding in prison , there are a lot of people in prison that shouldn't be in there , people with drink problems and mental issues to name but two .
If voting made any difference , they wouldn't let us do it.
Mark Twain


 

Terms of Use     Privacy Policy