Hello,

For the last nine weeks, I’ve been patrolling Sargent Avenue. During this time, I’ve usually been
out from 8:00 AM to 5:00 or 6:00 PM, six days a week.

I would say I’ve helped several hundred people. Whether it’s dealing with overdoses, passing
out water, or informing people where they can get food or shelter for the night, the bottom line is
getting to know my community.

Is it dangerous? Of course it is. When you’re administering Narcan to someone who has
overdosed, they can be violent when they wake up, or their friends simply don’t want your help.
But it’s about gaining the trust of the community and realizing it’s the right thing to do.

Have I been attacked and threatened? Yes. People breaking the law don’t like people like me
out there, whether they’re selling drugs, moving stolen merchandise, or are just street thugs.

A lot of the people on the street are not there because of their own actions, but because of the
hand they were dealt. Those are the people I help. And it’s not just the unhoused, it’s people
who can barely get by, and not all of them have addictions.

However, there are some living on the street who cause problems. One in particular harasses
people for money and tries to sell stolen goods all the time, yet he gets a monthly check from
the government for over $4,000.

A lot of the people I deal with on the street have just one wish: that they got $1,000 a month so
they wouldn’t have to be on the street anymore. This is why getting to know the people out there
is the right thing to do, so you help the right people, the people who need it, not the people who
abuse it.

At the same time, I have zero tolerance for crime. If you are selling drugs or stolen goods in our
neighborhood, I will report you, I keep a camera on me at all times. If you pull up in a $150,000
car to prey on vulnerable people in my community, expect to be reported.

We need to take back our streets while caring for those who truly need help. Right now, this
heatwave is creating a deadly combination with drug use that many don’t realize. In just two
days, I had to administer Narcan 15 times, 9 people yesterday and 6 the day before.

Yesterday in this heat, I was outside the whole day dealing with many problems and helping
many people. I would say it was the busiest day I’ve had. Mentally and physically, it’s starting to
take a toll on me.

From having to administer Narcan to people as young as 12 years old, to picking people up off
the middle of the street to help them, or just listening to their stories and the reasons why they’re
in the place they’re in. I have passed out over 2,500 bottles of water this year, and it’s not even
August yet. I have administered Narcan to approximately 60 people who have overdosed, not including the number of times I’ve stopped fights, stopped people from selling drugs, moved people who were blocking business entrances, stopped car break-ins, and so on.

It does take a toll on you. Many people say they’re going to volunteer, but not one has stuck
around, the two who did show up didn’t last an hour. So yes, this is just a one-man operation. It
is nice, though, when people drop off cases of water to help.

When I watch the news and see someone stabbed while helping others, or just see the crime in
general in the city, it’s a little discouraging. I know I don’t make a massive difference, but I hope I
make a difference in my own little piece of the city by patrolling.

Warm regards,
Michael Paille