ARE YOU AN ENABLER?

Leading Cop Slams Enabling of Homeless

Consider this bit of verbiage: "Guess what, Mr. and Mrs. Do-Gooder? You just came down from (Rancho) Peñasquitos with your troupe from church and there's a dozen of you in a beautiful white van, you're feeling really good about giving out sandwiches and socks and coffee?

"I love it. You're doing God's work. You're not helping the homeless. You're helping them remain homeless."

Who said that? It's a comment from Boyd Long, the San Diego Police assistant chief who's leaving for a new job with a local casino. He's been a point person on homelessness issues, and offered his perspective in an interview with Kelly Bennett last week.

Long is actually sympathetic to transients. But he believes that giveaways alone aren't the answer. "Go to one of these agencies. Support them," he said. "Because when that guy comes to the (agency's) door, he gets a sandwich, he gets socks, he gets something warm to drink. And he gets a counselor. He gets a person who may find housing. He gets an attorney to talk to to help with those tickets. He gets much, much more than an enabling cup of coffee and a sandwich and a pair of socks."

Check more of his comments here.