AMHERST – Police officers were summoned to two downtown locations Tuesday to deal with reported problems caused by homeless people.
At 4:53 p.m., police responded to the sidewalk in front of the Starbucks, 71 North Pleasant St., a popular place for people to panhandle, where a homeless woman allegedly slapped the mother of a homeless man with whom she is acquainted. Officers advised the woman to stay away from the man.
Ten minutes later, a woman came to the police station to report that she and her children were accosted by a homeless man near Starbucks who was using obscenities and made comments about her daughter’s karate uniform.
Police found the man, who admitted he has an animated personality that can scare passersby.
And at 10:28 p.m., police went to the Kinsey Memorial Garden at the Jones Library for loud yelling and a possible fight. Police found a homeless woman complaining that behavior by four other people in the garden was preventing her from getting to sleep. She told police she would find another place to rest.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
