Thursday, April 16, 2009 | 2:06 a.m.
A Metro Police official showed good judgment last month when he ended a practice among patrol officers of stopping well-meaning donors from assisting homeless people.
Deputy Chief Gary Schofield said he found out about the practice after a Metro officer prevented members of a Henderson church from giving food and clothing to homeless people living in tents at Foremaster Lane and Main Street in Las Vegas.
The officer told the group he was going to give them a written warning and that if they tried to help the homeless anywhere else, they would be “written up” there, too.
Schofield told Las Vegas Sun reporter Timothy Pratt that he didn’t think anyone could “address the problem of homelessness by giving citations.”
The church members, from the Green Valley Christian Center, had been turning their faith into action over the past five years, Pratt reported, through direct assistance to the homeless once a month.
There are many passages in the Bible that guide believers on this issue. Deuteronomy 15:7, for example, says: “... you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother.” Psalms 41:1 says, “Blessed is he who considers the poor.”
Then there are people, of course, who feed and otherwise help the homeless who do not belong to faith-based organizations. The point is, no well-meaning adult should be stopped and threatened with a ticket simply for showing kindness to someone, including those who happen to be homeless.
Schofield, aware that Metro’s recent actions in this regard have raised questions, is scheduled to conduct a public meeting from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday. It will be held at Metro’s Downtown Area Command Center, 621 N. Ninth St.
That is a good response. This issue should be aired so everyone concerned about the well being of homeless people can hear firsthand from Metro that handing out food and other appropriate supplies is not a crime.
We hope someone brings lunch, and invites all the homeless attendees to help themselves.
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