Spare some change?

University of Wisconsin Student's Slaying Sparks Debate Over City's Friendly Treatment of the Homeless

MADISON, Wis. — The slaying of a college student in a downtown neighborhood frequented by beggars has forced this liberal city to ask a difficult question: Has Madison been too nice to the homeless?

Yes, yes they have. Why they are in this situation.

The scrutiny is unusual in a city that allows homeless people to congregate every day in the Capitol basement and offers free meals there on Sundays. The homeless panhandle on street corners in student neighborhoods and in the area between the Capitol and the university.
The city's welcoming attitude has attracted more homeless people and some beggars are becoming increasingly aggressive, police Lt. Joe Balles said.
"We've kind of institutionalized an enabling environment downtown for this transient population to grow unchecked," Balles said. "They are downtown preying largely off of that student population and really preying off a lot of our good compassion as Madisonians. In a way, they are taking advantage of us."

This statement sums it all up for you.

Phalen Pierson, 48, said he spends six days a week lounging in the Capitol basement between shifts as a caterer. He said he could never relax the same way in his hometown of Cleveland.
"They'd call security on you," said Pierson, who has been homeless on and off for eight years. "In Madison, it's like 'here, here, here.' There's too many handouts. A lot of these guys sit on their butts all day and don't do nothing but drink."

You want to prevent alot of petty crime? Stop many of the random auto break ins? House break-ins? Shoplifting, littering, public drunkeness, vandalism? Then get the homeless out of your town. Many target women, older people, and college students and use an agressive posture and tone to get money. Most will give them money just to make them go away. Basically, they are commitiing strong arm robbery, but no one reports it because they feel "sorry" for this person "down on his luck".
They are not noble souls who just need a helping hand, they are persons with anti-social behaviors who take advantage of other people's kindness. Most I dealt with and arrested had been arrested a minimum of 50 times and most for some criminal act other than public drunkeness.
Some people may argue that this is a callous attitude, and it may seem that way, but you do not help someone by giving them something, be it food, housing, or just plain money. Something only has a value that is earned and as long as they do not have to earn anything to live, they will never change.