By Joe Johnson
A man reportedly was arrested Friday night for allegedly setting a tent on fire at an east Athens homeless camp.
An Athens-Clarke County police spokesman said officers responded at about 8:10 p.m. to a request by firefighters for assistance with a fire in a wooded area on the property of Covenant Presbyterian Church on Gaines School Road where a homeless camp had been established.
“Witnesses advised (officers) that a male, later identified as Stephen Dalton Sims was seen setting a tent on fire in the camp,” said ACCPD Public Information Specialist Geof Gilland. “The tent belonged to another individual in the camp.”
Sims was arrested and charged with first-degree arson, Gilland said
According to Gilland, police were investigating to see if the arson fire was related to an aggravated that occurred the day before at the same location, and in which Sims was a suspect.
Jane Adams, hopefully, you will never miss a few mortgage payments, get sick, lose income when a spouse, or countless other reasons that may cause a person to become homeless. Lets imagine one of these unfortunate things should happen to you, what will you be categorized as? Just when I thought these comments could not get anymore disgusting. I am praying for each – one of you wonderful people who are sitting high and looking low.
Panhandling is less visible in ATL. Athens is more like Portland. Don't fret though, this will all go away when the magic potty and 55 tent $2.5 Million ACC tent village is complete!! Lol we will be the destination of one way bus ticketed homeless. Guaranteed!
And this proves a lot of peoples points, although a lot of people like to put on a false face about this so-called sensitive subject, but I call it for what it is because I have had experience with these people. The homeless! People and politicians, to include our mayor and commissioners, like to paint the false narrative that these people are somehow cute and cuddly and normal law abiding citizens that just couldn’t make a mortgage or rent payment and were put out on the streets. That might be the exception but it’s certainly not the rule.
Most of the homeless are ex-convicts, prostitutes, unemployable smelly perverts, crackheads, meth heads, junkies, child molesters, psychopaths off their meds, rapists, criminals…