Homeless person in front of my shop? what can i do?

[blackvette101]

Hi guys. I run a wheel and tire shop in the fort lauderdale area of south florida. Although we take in all cars we mainly cater to high end foreign cars so my clientele can be very picky where they do buisness. For the past two weeks I have had a homeless man begging for money directly in front of my shop. And he is honestly the worst looking homeless person I have ever seen. I have caught him urinating on my building twice and I find piles of human feces in my driveway where customers bring their cars in. I have asked him to leave politely the first few times. After that I started calling the sheriff everyday. Everyday they come and yell at him and everyday he comes back. sometimes he comes back in the same day and I have to call them twice. I have had an officer straight up tell me he won't arrest him because he will stink up his cruiser. Also everyday he is very drunk he stumbles around and with every $10 i see him get he goes directly across the street and buys a 6 pack and drinks it openly. I dont know what to do. I dont want to confront him but i will if i have too i have my cwl license just in case he flips out but i don't want to end up like zimmermen. Is there anything i can do to resolve this situation?

Thank you for any advice.

 

[Hotrodvdog]

Forget the sheriff, call the city police. Sherriff's are useless.

 

[03cobrah]

Forget the sheriff, call the city police. Sherriff's are useless.

Ohhhhhh dayum shit just got real! In before sheriffs

 

[Woody6799]

sheriff vs city vs state all depends on what state you are in, sheriff in the south is the man, sheriff in NJ is nothing.

Take pictures my man. Loitering, Public urination, public defecation, and drinking in public (depends on your town) can all be charges for him. So either you force the police to act, or you sue the department when they refuse to take action. Dont forget to document dates, times, and the officers names. Hate to sound like this but some time certain departments need a little extra motivation to deal with little BS like this, especially bc the homeless love Florida so they are everywhere. Outside of that, unless you get creative, there is not much you can really do.

 

[blkGT500nCA]

I set up a sprinkler. Yeah it've got NO grass, but the parking lot gets hot. You'd think they'd take advantage of the free shower, but they always seem to leave. It was a Sheriff buddies idea.

 

[megameGT500]

I would make a complaint to the actual Sheriff or call the local paper/news station and see if they are interested. This is BS. If the deputy doesn't want to stink up his cruiser ask for an alternative method... they have them. If not, is it their policy to not arrest homeless people because of the cleaning it would require? If you were caught breaking the law and he were required to haul you to jail, you bet your ass he would, unless you stunk, then by his standards you'd be unarrestable.

I have had an officer straight up tell me he won't arrest him because he will stink up his cruiser.

Or this.

I set up a sprinkler. Yeah it've got NO grass, but the parking lot gets hot. You'd think they'd take advantage of the free shower, but they always seem to leave. It was a Sheriff buddies idea.

 

[svtcop]

I set up a sprinkler. Yeah it've got NO grass, but the parking lot gets hot. You'd think they'd take advantage of the free shower, but they always seem to leave. It was a Sheriff buddies idea.

:lol:

OP, keep calling the police. Eventually they will have to deal with him. If they continue to refuse then speak with supervisors until the problem is resolved.

Or you could buy him a 12 pack and drop him off in front of the sheriff's office. I bet he'll be dealt with then. :burnout:

 

[TJSwoboda]

Maybe find out what accreditations the sheriff's department has, and complain to those agencies? I have no idea how much this will help; probably depends on the nature of the accreditation.

 

[Devious_Snake]

Ok, I work in south florida so Ill chime in here:

have the fort lauderdale police or whatever jurisdiction your in, trespass the individual from your property. Once a trespass warning is issued and he comes back the next day, call again he will be arrested for trespass after warning. Now its not a permanent solution only temporary but thats one of your rights as a business owner. More than likely the guy has a very long record with similar charges. Good luck

 

[Fox-4]

Pay the guy a ten and tell him to gtfo, if he comes back tell him that he will be sleeping with the fishes.

 

[FordSVTFan]

Forget the sheriff, call the city police. Sherriff's are useless.

Spoken like a person who does not understand what sheriffs do in Florida. By the Florida Constitution, the Sheriff is the highest ranking L.E. Official in each county. Also, deputy sheriffs serve as the sworn L.E.O.s for the unincorporated county and most often the vast majority of Florida counties are unincorporated. For instance HCSO cover the Tampa side of Tampa Bay and has 1200 Sworn officers. There are only 3 or 4 incorporated towns with their own P.D.

Ok, I work in south florida so Ill chime in here:

have the fort lauderdale police or whatever jurisdiction your in, trespass the individual from your property. Once a trespass warning is issued and he comes back the next day, call again he will be arrested for trespass after warning. Now its not a permanent solution only temporary but thats one of your rights as a business owner. More than likely the guy has a very long record with similar charges. Good luck

Agreed.

Pay the guy a ten and tell him to gtfo, if he comes back tell him that he will be sleeping with the fishes.

HAHA.

 

[Ponyman460]

I too am local to you.....very local it seems. I would listen to Devious! I live in Boynton and work in Miami...and let me tell you, the problem is MUCH worse in Miami.

 

[M240Bravo]

Just run up to him and hit him. Thats what a cop would do. lol

 

[1996SVT]

I work in Atlanta and I've dealt with way more than my share. They love to bother my customers.

I've tried everything in the book. Asked them to leave. They come right back. Call the police. They tell them to leave. They come right back.

I've been called a cracker, KKK, punk ass white boy. lol I've been spit at and spit on.

Finally had to take matters into my own hands and start roughing up a few guys. Seems to be the only language they understand. Just don't hurt them too bad. And make sure no one sees you do it!

The results are outstanding! Only had one guy come back and I bounced him off the sidewalk again. That was his epiphany. I'd see him walking up the street occasionally but he never harassed my customers again!!

 

[10thSVT_03]

I work in Atlanta and I've dealt with way more than my share. They love to bother my customers.

I've tried everything in the book. Asked them to leave. They come right back. Call the police. They tell them to leave. They come right back.

I've been called a cracker, KKK, punk ass white boy. lol I've been spit at and spit on.

Finally had to take matters into my own hands and start roughing up a few guys. Seems to be the only language they understand. Just don't hurt them too bad. And make sure no one sees you do it!

The results are outstanding! Only had one guy come back and I bounced him off the sidewalk again. That was his epiphany. I'd see him walking up the street occasionally but he never harassed my customers again!!

Worst advice.

 

[1996SVT]

That worst advice came from city police officers. Win win situation. They don't have to respond to the calls where I work and I don't have to worry about my customers being harassed.

 

[Machdup1]

That worst advice came from city police officers. Win win situation. They don't have to respond to the calls where I work and I don't have to worry about my customers being harassed.

The police told you to commit a battery. I find that hard to believe.

 

[TJSwoboda]

The police told you to commit a battery. I find that hard to believe.

I'd find it hard to believe coming from certain agencies. Quality of police departments varies wildly.

Department A: Officers respond, have the property owner read the bum the trespass warning, come back and arrest him when he violates it.
Department B: The first part happens, but the officers are too lazy to follow through (OP's sheriff's office).
Department C: Officers suggest the property owner commit a battery, just don't hurt him too badly, don't let us see it (Atlanta PD, according to 1996SVT).
Department D: Something else entirely...

 

[jrd699]

I do agree, you have to confront this guy. They speak one language, that's it. I'm not saying you have to kick his ass, but you have to tell him gtfo! DO NOT give him money, as he will never leave, you will be his ATM. I've dealt with homeless guys before, 99% of the time they will leave if not wanted, but I have had a knife pulled before. He stays because he must be getting money/comfort at your place. NO MONEY, everyday GTFO....GTFO!!! Use a broomstick if you have to, or leave the heat out on your hip.
Option 2 call Sherriff EVERYDAY, every time he hassles a customer for money, every time you find piss, shit, ect.. Police will eventually get sick of it, and deal.
Squeaky wheel, keep making noise, he will be gone. Good luck, it's a shitty situation.

 

[1996SVT]

I'd find it hard to believe coming from certain agencies. Quality of police departments varies wildly.

Department A: Officers respond, have the property owner read the bum the trespass warning, come back and arrest him when he violates it.
Department B: The first part happens, but the officers are too lazy to follow through (OP's sheriff's office).
Department C: Officers suggest the property owner commit a battery, just don't hurt him too badly, don't let us see it (Atlanta PD, according to 1996SVT).
Department D: Something else entirely...

Not hard to believe if you saw the area I work in! Also factor in that I've known a lot of these guys personally for years. I work in a restaurant/bar that's open late at night. I pay these guys 35.00 an hour for security detail on the weekends. (friday and saturday)
It wasn't like an officer that responded to a call told me to do that.

Most of these derelicts have AIDS. And I personally saw one of them swing a stick at one of my employees. And another one was threatening employees with a knife until my bar manager cold cocked him and took the knife away.

The first year I was here I tried to do everything by the book and talk and reason with these people. It was an exercise in futility. I don't take any chances with them anymore.

They get a couple of warnings and and if that doesn't work they get smacked around a bit.