The ridiculous “Downtown Policing” letter — with its high toned distortion, pained sensitivities and outrage over the existence of the poor and mentally ill on State street (the source of all we hold dear!) — is disingenuous at best. It reminds me of the couple of young drunk men I saw one evening, badgering and mocking an elderly homeless man.
I have lived here for 60 years, and there have been poor and homeless people here for as long as I remember. It doesn’t seem to have hindered the business on State Street much. People talking on their cell phones and carelessly driving probably do more harm, but they are not such an easy target.