I live in a small appartment complex and in the courtyard there's a screened in enclosure where we keep our grills, chairs, etc. We've always had a problem with bums from the day labor places in the area sneaking in around 2AM and sleeping in there. Now before I sound like captain asshole, I wouldn't care if it was one person for one, maybe two nights, if that's all it was. I can understand hard times. The problem is that word gets around that it's a more comfortable place to sleep than the concrete at the day labor places, then we get two or three people who want to huddle up in there, then they start leaving trash and turds behind. Yes turds, someone took a crap on the walkway outside the gate on the way to the dumpster. I went out there and shooed off some guy banging a hooker one morning. We've tried just about everything to stop them. We've had a bright light out there, which they just unscrew or break. Those of us close to the enclosure have gone out there at the first sound and shooed them off. We've had police come out and escort them off the property. We've gone out there with airhorns and "artifical sun" flashlights to sho them off. I've even soaked them with a garden hose. Nothing works for more than a nite, and i've started recognising a couple of them. I've got one last idea, but I'd like to see if anyone else has any ideas before I try it because I know it's a bad idea. Basically I think the only way they're going to quit comming here, is if word gets around that someone will mug them and steal their wallet if they sleep in there. I'm a pretty big guy, it would be easy for me to get the drop on a sleeping bum at 3AM and donate their wallet contents to the church down the street.
Well, 2 wrongs dont make a right. I have no idea what your going through, because I dont live near a day labor place. I did have a problem with a bum sleeping in my car once. Took care of that by locking the doors. Its really too bad that these people dont have another place to sleep. The only suggestion I have is to have the complex that you live in become gated.
I think what happens a lot of times is these guys get suckered into spending all of their money on crack that the hooker is either selling or from someone the hooker knows thinking they're going to get laid or at least be able to sleep at the hookers place. Then when they've spent their entire days/weeks wages the hooker kicks them out. We had a guy move in here a year or so ago and a hooker did that to him a few times, he pulled the fire alarm once because he was soo pissed off about not getting laid when he spent his whole weeks check on crack. Needless to say he's not here anymore.
I do know that sometimes its the hooker that is hooked on crack. They sell their bodies looking for the next fix. They get hooked up with some guy that controls them, with a little rock and then he collect all their money. Its a big round robin system. Maybe a shoot to kill policy when it comes to drugs is the answer.
I don't think stealing from homeless people is going to do much good. Is it public or private land you are talking about? If private, why can't you just keep calling the police? Surely they'd be arrested after repeat offenses of trespass.
Yeah I know it's a bad idea. If the word got around one of three things could happen, 1) They stay away from here so they don't get mugged 2) Police catch wind of this and I end up getting my ass kicked by an undercover officer 3) One brings a weapon and waits for me to do it again, worst case scenario It's private property. The police have more important things to deal with, like the guy who was found beaten to death in a motel room a few blocks away. We try not to take up too much of their time with trespassing.
You shouldn't feel guilty for calling the police. It's obvious you are getting pretty frustrated at people breaking the law and calling the police is the right thing to do.
Print up a sign, PLEASE MOVE ON. YOU ARE CURRENTLY BEING WATCHED BY HIDDEN CAMERA SURVEILANCE AND POLICE WILL BE HERE SHORTLY. THIS IS PRIVATE PROPERTY. TRESSPASSERS FOUND HERE WILL BE PROSECUTED. Stay vigilant for a couple of days reporting all to the cops. Things should settle down after a few days as the regulars find an easier (and quieter) place to stay.
you said you sprayed them with a garden hose, spray them with some foul smelling concoction that doesn't wash off too easily and is harmless, just stinky.
Tbh mate i'd get the air gun out and pop one of them everytime they started sleeping lol! or kick them and throw heavy objects at them, if their causing grief dont have it, do what you like! its your property not theirs! no need to mug them they will be skint, plus theres probably about 10 more hiding waiting for someone like you to go in there and try mug them lol, then they all jump out at once and they got a new set of shoes to wear and some clothes haha! Regrds, B.
Do you think a bum has a wallet, or anything in it? One thing you have to consider is most are senial, so watch that he doesn't go crazy or something. You guys don't have cops or night security you can call? Usually cops will make them leave. Cheers,
im not sure of the stinky concoction will work, they probably already smell bad. I'd just try to scare em off with fireworks..
you could always hook up some PA speakers and play annoying music 24/7 a local council had a similar problem with drug addicts hanging around a shopping complex so they play classical music around the area now which has seemed to worked slightly. there was also some where in the UK that had problems with youths hanging around the shops and scaring customers off, So the smart shop owner hooked up some wizz bang gizmo that emits a certain frequency only audible to anyone under 25. i would think any high pitch noise would send them bums packing
Have you tried charging them rent? Really i would take offence to someone standing on the drive longer than neccessary, nevermind someone sleeping in my yard. Having them use your area as a toilet is disgusting, im not going to suggest anything other than do something that will obviously work, your being too soft, you sound like a really decent guy but this is round where you have to live too. Cant you involve local authorities? Seriously you need to put the fear of god into them so that no one ever dares enter that area again.
The thing is, they're not your average full-fledged completely lazy bums with 12" long nasty beards that you see in pee stained pants on the sidewalk downtown. These guys are generally commong from the day-labor places, meaning they have to have proper ID at the very least. The ones that have been escorted out by police in the past pulled out wallets to identify themselves. There's empty appartments upstairs that I've pondered renting out a few times. But I'd have to break in, and hope they didn't trash them, which would only serve to get me thrown out eventually.
Homeless person sleeping with a hooker? Gosh, I wasn't aware of that. How are they even collecting government benefits if they have no address?