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On Wednesday, when Governor John Hickenlooper and Mayor Michael Hancock were at the Lawrence Street day shelter, serving Thanksgiving dinner to the homeless, the Denver Police Department continued its city-sanctioned sweep of the streets right outside. The contrast was stark, and the reactions of readers to this latest round of sweeps was equally divided. Says Julio:
Thank goodness. Get them into places offering help, and off the streets. I lived right by there for over two years and never really felt safe walking around. Always got harassed for money and food when I'm trying to eat at Snooze on the patio or even just go home.
Responds Rachel:
It frustrates me that the city thinks the solution to addressing homelessness is to just move people around. This is not a solution and it truly reflects very poorly on our city. The last time they tried this it did nothing — because all it does is remove the appearance of homelessness rather than helping anyone.
What do you think of the homeless sweeps? What do you see as the solution?
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