Senior Police Officer Sleeps On The Street

A senior police officer has spent the night roughing it on the streets of Wrexham in sub-zero temperatures in a bid to raise awareness of the problems faced by many homeless people.

North Wales Police Assistant Chief Constable Simon Shaw spent the Friday night (February 6th) in a sleeping bag in an office car park in Grosvenor Road Wrexham after being challenged to experience just for one night what some homeless people go through for months or even years.

ACC Shaw said: “I am a member of the Area Planning Board – a committee that commissions services aimed at reducing the harm caused by alcohol and illegal drugs and as a result I have met many people who are starting their recovery journey or have been on that journey for many years and are still battling to remain sober or drug free.

“People tell stories of losing everything, including their homes because of their addictions. For them homelessness is not a life style choice, but an unfortunate and unintended consequence of poor choices, desperate circumstances or just plain bad luck.

“What I have found remarkable is that those who are months or years down the road to recovery, that have overcome homelessness and are striving to overcoming addition, have a real desire to help others find their way along that same road to recovery.

“One of them challenged me to spend just one night experiencing some of the difficulties and discomforts that many people across North Wales experience every night.”

Laying out his sleeping bag on a piece of cardboard to reduce the impact of a frost covered car park, ACC Shaw managed a total of about four hours sleep thorough the course of the night.

Along with other members of the group of ten, he broke up the 12 hour stretch by visiting some of the places homeless people in Wrexham use every night.

He added: “I was shocked to see some of these places littered with used needles. I saw one sleeping bag covered in ice hanging on a fence outside a derelict building where some take refuge.

“Our guide knew who the bag belonged to and that the owner would be using it later if he didn’t get a bed in a hostel.

“I recorded conversations I had with those who currently or have once lived on the streets .Their stories were all very different, but of those who had managed to find a place to live all said one thing in common, namely that someone had helped them get out their seemingly hopeless situation.

“Even experiencing just 12 cold hours of the physical discomfort that these vulnerable people go through, I was able to appreciate just how difficult it must be to get out of that situation without the help of someone else.

“As a police officer I was pleased to hear that for many people living on the streets North Wales Police officers were perceived as caring and understanding. It is my job to make sure that our officers are also well informed and know what local services are available, so that in addition to being caring and understanding, they can offer practical information and advice.

“This experience has given me a valuable insight into the issues that will help me to be better informed in discussions concerning projects and services to help people overcome addiction.”

The sponsored sleep out organised by Wrexham- based voluntary group co-coordinators AVOW which connects voluntary and community organisations and activities across Wrexham county and the SURF volunteer project which works with the Community Drug and Alcohol Service.