Homeless getting more aggressive on Lower Greenville

For the past few weeks, the homeless problem has escalated on Lower Greenville, to a point many consider threatening.

It's bad enough to be sitting on the patio at a bar or restaurant when you get approached by the regular homeless residents in the area. But some of the new ones are extremely aggressive, no matter how many times you say NO.

When they start sunbathing naked near your house, you know things are getting out of hand.

BD's been getting calls and emails from neighbors about their encounters with homeless people sleeping inside the post office facility on Belmont, along with a smell that could only be described as acidic. Calls to the USPS Postal Police put a dent in that problem.

BD was approached by a panhandler at the post office one morning, seeking funds for a beer. When he ignored repeated demands to step away from the car, BD finally had to present a wooden version of canned whupass in order to convince him to leave the area.

Gas is expensive enough, but we don't need panhandlers at the pump waiting for us. The Shell Station owners have ignored countless requests to stop this aggressive behavior.

If the Shell Station folks enjoy the company of these guys staying on their property and doing odd-jobs, that's fine. But when they walk a feet south and harass the patrons at Sevan Cafe and K-Tokyo, you need to take a step back and say, Maybe we should stop buying gas from Shell until the panhandlers are off the property?

BD note - There are panhandlers hanging around 7-Eleven, but their manager has no problem filing NO TRESPASS notices against them.

They stay in well-hidden areas near vacant parking lots or empty houses. There are a few bars that have no problem letting them do errands early in the morning, like hosing the front patios.

Last year, BD found one lady at Blockbuster Video's parking lot giving a panhandler some cash, and tried to dissuade her - It's like leaving milk out for cats - they just don't go away.

She said, Well this is my neighborhood and I think we should help people down on their luck.

BD asked, Just where do you live in our neighborhood?

Oh, I live in Hillside Village [Mockingbird and Abrams, about 1.5 miles north of Lower Greenville].

Damn it lady, I live right across the street. Why don't you put him in your car and take him to your house for dinner, because this is not your neighborhood.

The couple in this video (not for the squeamish) have been hanging around the neighborhood for about two weeks, slipping into local businesses for food and panhandling at the Blockbuster / Whole Foods parking lot.

DPD was called out by the property owner but they managed to evade a ride to Lew Sterrett. There is an outstanding police report for trespassing, so if you see them in the area (and trust BD, you will see them), send us an email with their location.