What is compassionate about allowing people to remain in a situation that is dangerous for them and dangerous for those they come into contact with?
It is a question posed by Conservative councillor and former police chief Graham Cox in a recent blog post.
He was writing shortly after three people were jailed.
Two of them – two men – were convicted of murdering rough sleeper Lea Williams on Hove seafront by the pitch and putt green. The other, a former nurse, was jailed for conspiracy to murder.
Councillor Cox said that all were sleeping rough locally at the time of the murder.
He said: “In the light of this awful tragedy, and the other nine deaths of rough sleepers last year in the city, I am increasingly concerned that our tolerance and charity is actually killing the people we want to help.
“Why should people who are mentally ill, alcoholic, those abusing substances (drugs, glue, gas and petrol) be allowed to remain on the streets doing things which will harm them and those they come into contact with?
“Should we, if necessary, compel them to enter shelters and treatment programmes?
“I am worried that just providing soup, sleeping bags and clothing perpetuates rough sleepers in a lifestyle which will ensure their continued poverty, vulnerability to crime and ultimately death.
“The arches where the murder occurred had been occupied for some time by rough sleepers.
“The numbers bedding down there had grown, and the whole area was full of rubbish, discarded bottles and syringes and human excreta.
“At times it was beginning to resemble a shanty town.
“People living in the flats (opposite) – while many expressed sympathy for some of those sleeping there – had been forced to tolerate loud noise, music, regular fights and people going to the toilet in the open air outside their front windows.
The pitch and putt concession itself went out of business with loss of jobs (and) income for the council.”
He said that he was pleased that the arches had now been gated, adding: “This move has been criticised by some, perhaps understandably, suggesting that gating the arches is simply moving the problem as the street sleepers/drinkers have to ‘go somewhere.’
“At first sight this seems a reasonable criticism and no doubt what I am now going to write will attract further criticism from some as me just being a ‘typical heartless Tory’.
“My fundamental argument though is that it is not compassionate to simply maintain vulnerable people in a lifestyle which will probably lead to them dying – and this tragic case bears this out.”
He said that Brighton and Hove City Council and local charities such as Brighton Housing Trust (BHT) provided excellent services for the homeless.
And he praised the “no second night out” policy, adding: “No second night out aims to ensure that people new to rough sleeping are helped off the streets before they become entrenched in that lifestyle.
“But what about those rough sleepers who do not want to be helped? What about those that will not engage with homelessness services?
“It is here that I think we may need a different, more coercive approach.
“What has made me think this? I was struck by the photos of the Hove killers taken outside the crown court.
“I had previously seen these men drinking at benches in my ward. They looked old and ill.
“After nine months off the streets and away from the ‘street community’ on remand in prison they look transformed.
“It is ironic to think that by committing a murder these men may have indirectly saved their own lives.”
BHT chief executive Andy Winter might be expected to take issue with Councillor Cox.
Mr Winter is a former Labour councillor and runs Brighton’s leading housing and homelessness charity. But he said that he agreed with the thrust of Councillor Cox’s argument.
In response to Councillor Cox, he said: “I believe it is the opposite of compassion to allow people to remain homeless, or addicted, etc.
“The average life expectancy of a homeless person is estimated to be between 42 and 47 years.
“You and I will have known far too many of those who have died too young.”
Mr Winter also said that BHT’s shipping containers in New England Road, Brighton, were almost ready for their first tenants.
They are being converted to help 36 people who have been homeless. Mr Winter spoke at an event to mark BHT’s 45th anniversary about meeting the first tenants for the converted shipping containers.
He said that seeing the gratitude of those 36 people being given a chance to have a home had been humbling and one of the proudest moments of his life.
They are due to move in on Monday 9 December.
Its often these authoritarian ‘do gooders’ that drive people into misery.
What councilor cox and andy winter are boths saying, is ‘dont let people choose how to use their own money/time – make them give thier money to us so we can spend it (and pay ourselves) – because we know better, we are better, people should live as we want them to’.
These self important, authoritarians can do what they like with their own time/money – its is tragic that such people have access to ours.
Its often these authoritarian ‘do gooders’ that drive people into misery.
What councilor cox and andy winter are boths saying, is ‘dont let people choose how to use their own money/time – make them give thier money to us so we can spend it (and pay ourselves) – because we know better, we are better, people should live as we want them to’.
These self important, authoritarians can do what they like with their own time/money – its is tragic that such people have access to ours.