How To Avoid Police Contact

When you are homeless you are probably going to come in contact with the police. As a matter in fact I almost guarantee you will at some point but here are ways to minimize your contact with the law. Cops don't like dealing with the homeless. They will harass you or try to run you out of town. They will even make shit up. It's best just to avoid dealing with cops at all.

Rule # 1: Stay away from other homeless people. Groups of homeless attract police attention. This goes without saying but this a pitfall for many. I have found when hanging out in groups of homeless people there are always one or two idiots that will do something that will make us all stand out more than we already do. Either you will have a guy drinking out of a bottle out in the open or you will have some other guy being drunk, loud, and looking disheveled. The best way to avoid this is just to stay away from groups. Find a homeless friend that you can trust and someone that like you doesn't appear to be homeless. Do you best to blend in with society and you won't give the police a reason to talk to you.

Rule # 2: Be careful where you sleep. If you don't want to wake up to a police flashlight shining in your eyes you should know where you should and shouldn't sleep. As a general rule you want to avoid sleeping in public parks. Unless it's a very large park with a forest where you can camp without being detected I wouldn't recommend sleeping in it. The police patrol urban parks often.

Don't sleep in business districts. These may look inviting because it looks like nobody is around but nearly all business parks have security and the police patrol often. Don't even think about parking your car and sleeping here. I'm the exception rather than the rule. I scouted a business park and was able to sleep there for several months without getting caught. If you must sleep near a business make sure to wake up before the sun rises and anyone starts showing up to work. Don't ever leave a trace of evidence that you were there or I can promise you someone will call the cops.

Rule # 3: Try to blend in as much as possible. If you have facial hair shave it off. If you must keep it trim it and make it look presentable. Not having a place to go is a challenge when you are homeless. Find a library during the day to hang out in. Find a college campus. Wherever you are play the part and try to blend in with the crowd and nobody will think you look out of place.

Rule # 4: Don't do illegal shit! This goes without saying but I think most people don't quite grasp this concept. Don't drink in public. Don't do drugs. Don't steal. Don't give anyone a reason to call the police. And avoid hanging out with anyone that does these things.