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Brooklyn Woman Says Homeless Man's Constant Presence Makes Her Feel Unsafe

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- An unwanted neighbor has been causing frustration for a woman in Brooklyn.

She said a homeless man is sleeping just steps away from her door, and she can't seem to find any help to get him to leave.

The homeless man has made it a habit of living in an alley, sleeping underneath cardboard on Douglass Street in Boerum Hill.

Elaine Golin whose front door is just feet away said he needs to find a new place to call home.

"Sometimes he's drunk or on drugs, sometimes I hear him shouting at people, and it's just not a safe feeling situation to have him here," she said.

She tried to deal with the matter on her own, and even offered him food and cash in exchange for leaving. She also threatened to call the police.

"And this made me sad, he said 'I have nowhere to go,' and I said I understand that, but you can't be here, this is not a good place for you to be," she said.

He did leave for a short time, but eventually returned. Golin filed a complaint with 311, but her service request was closed and the Department of Homeless Services referred the issue to the NYPD.

The reason? The provider can't go inside private property.

CBS2 asked Homeless Services to explain and they said he's committing a crime by trespassing and the police need to deal with the issue.

"I call the police, when they come he's not here, or they say they saw his belongings, but they don't see him," Golin said, "They say they will threaten him with arrest if they come. I don't want him to get arrested, I want him to get help."

The man wasn't there when CBS2 stopped by on Friday, but evidence of his belongings was found.

Golin feels hopeless.

"I've literally tried homeless services, sanitation, several calls to the police," she said.

At the end of the day no city agency seems to be able to help.

"Everybody's instinct seems to be like, okay not my problem, move it along," she said.

The NYPD said the best advice they can give Golin is to keep calling the police every time he returns.

 

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