My friend, who shared the notice with me, responded in this way: "i reckon, then, that the disciples of the Lord Jesus in this place have no ministry to a homeless human being struggling for existence in Indianapolis in this hellbent twenty-first century. We may simply consign him to the mercies of the [University] Police and the [state named] plutocracy. May God have mercy."
PLEASE READ!
We have been alerted that in the late nights and early mornings near the [seminary named] apartments at the
corner of [name of] street and [name of ] Avenue, a male 5’8-5’9” with a
thin build is going through the trash there at the apartments. We also
have reason to believe that this person is homeless and could be sleeping in
bushes between our apartment buildings. You are advised to contact [university name] Police at [phone number] or call local police at 911 if you spot this individual or
any other suspicious individuals.
[University name] Police is aware of
this report and have been providing extra patrols this area and areas around
our campus. Please be aware that you may see police officers on foot with
flashlights patrolling these areas as well.
[Seminary name] students, staff and faculty
should also be alert and aware of your
surroundings and what is going around you. If you notice
anything suspicious, a car that looks out of place, a person wandering around
the parking lot or building or anything out of the ordinary, please contact the
[seminary name] Facilities Maintenance or the [university name] police. Those numbers are
[phone number] (Facilities Maintenance), [Phone number] ([university name] Police emergency) and
[phone number] (university name Police non-emergency). If you are the victim of a crime,
call the police first and then Facilities. We all must work together to
make [seminary name] a safe place to live, work and study.
Stay
safe!
Signed,
Director of Facilities Management
Director of Facilities Management
I believe the university has a legal responsibility to protect its students.
ReplyDeleteI believe you are entirely missing the point. There is absolutely no indication this person is dangerous, only homeless. Yet a seminary's answer is to call the police if you see him, as opposed to trying to help him. If you can miss this point, you're just trying.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about that seminary, but at a local seminary I am familiar with, the university police act as a liaison between the homeless and Christian organizations standing ready to provide aid and assistance. The norm would be to direct the homeless man to the available ministries who want to help him. The university police are trained and equipped to handle the situation, whereas the seminary students are studying Greek and Aramaic. And certainly their families are not equipped for the job. Not every homeless man is a threat, but just being homeless does not make you a nice guy. It also does not prevent you from being mentally disturbed. To vilify this university police force without knowing what happens after they are contacted is short-sighted.
ReplyDeletewhy do we (and i'm sadly including myself) tend to be afraid?? the man is homeless - that doesn't mean he's dangerous. "there - but by the grace of G-d - go i"
ReplyDeleteI agree with anon: 4:48
ReplyDeleteThis is fantastic!
ReplyDelete