There have been people sleeping in the park as far back as church records go, he adds. A few people are already sleeping there tonight, or trying to, stretched out on a bench under newspapers, cardboard, or a damp and dirty cast-off sleeping bag. One fellow has a more elaborate setup that includes plastic wrapping and several layers of blankets and other material to fashion a makeshift mattress. He won t come into the shelter, says Stone. He never causes any trouble though, so now the cops just leave him alone.
Stone approaches to see how they are doing.
One group of half a dozen young people has commandeered some picnic tables, and two bicycle cops are confronting them as Stone arrives. After a minute of earnest sideline conversation between Stone and one of the officers, the police depart. They said they ll give you 10 minutes, Stone tells the young people, who although not drunk, have clearly been drinking underage and in public, from an open bottle in a paper bag. You d better clear out, he warns them. If they find you here when they come back, they said they ll start laying charges.