Homeless man at West School playground

[Anonymous]

Last night we went to the playground on the West School campus. The school is slated for renovation so won't be used next year but a lot of kids still go to the playground.
When we arrived we were going to the Pre-K/ K playground and were stopped by some people (seemed to be leading a camp) and told not to go in there because a homeless man had barricaded it off and set up a camp.

As we left we could see his legs behind the playground structure and some clothing, belongings.

I'm not sure if he had acted badly prior to us arriving but there was a strange insistence by the camp leaders to stay away as though something had.

What should I do in this case? Call the police? DCPS? While he wasn't doing anything wrong while we were there I was bothered by it all night thinking about unsupervised kids playing there.

The way he was hidden behind the play structure meant you didn't see him until you were right next to it.

[Anonymous]

Call the non-emergency line and ask that someone go check on a man at the playground who seems to be homeless and need help.

Maybe he's just a guy who needs a safe place to go. Maybe he's paranoid and dangerous. You don't know.

But I like to approach these issues from a place of compassion.

[Anonymous]

Call the cops.
It's a playground.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Call the non-emergency line and ask that someone go check on a man at the playground who seems to be homeless and need help.

Maybe he's just a guy who needs a safe place to go. Maybe he's paranoid and dangerous. You don't know.

But I like to approach these issues from a place of compassion.

+1000 re: the compassion

[Anonymous]

The school is slated for renovation and the chances are 100% that the playground is also closed.

[Anonymous]

Bring him a meal from Subway. He's probably hungry.

Isn't DCUM filled with liberal/progressive Democrats? The actions don't seem to speak for it.

[Anonymous]

He's probably drunk or heroin out. Call 911 he may defecate or assault children.

[Anonymous]

+1 to approaching with compassion-he does need help. But he is also not allowed to appropriate a playground as his personal campsite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He's probably drunk or heroin out. Call 911 he may defecate or assault children.

I will never relate to this kind of person. Some people have just fallen off their feet and it has nothing to do with addiction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He's probably drunk or heroin out. Call 911 he may defecate or assault children.

I will never relate to this kind of person. Some people have just fallen off their feet and it has nothing to do with addiction.

.
I feel for people but someone making camp in a playground oblivious to everything around him if either on drugs/drunk or mentally unstable. None of these should be near children