Community Grapples With Mental Health Crisis Impacting Homeless Population

I'd like to take a minute and talk about mental health and the homeless in Great Falls.

I've got a couple of little stories for you.

First, anyone see the post from the owner of the Sip 'N Dip and how they and their customers are terrorized almost nightly and can't get help? My GOD.

Last fall or winter I was walking out of Target when a woman was literally wailing on the bench next to the entrance. She was rocking back and forth in the pouring rain crying, "Help me". I went to talk to her and she was wearing a hospital bracelet, shoes and scrubs. CLEARLY, she had just been released from medical care and had no where to go and was in no condition to care for herself.

I tried to get her help, but ultimately, I don't know where she ended up.

Here's Mother Of All Stories

Sunday morning, I went to get allergy medicine at a store on 10th. As I was leaving, the employee told me of a scare she had by a man that morning that needed some mental help, and was kind of scary, but didn't seem violent.

(I'm shortening the following story and trying to make it fairly palatable.)

Then she says if you have a minute I have a story you won't believe. She proceeds to tell me about a mentally disturbed man who came into the store just the other day. This man was not wearing pants and was wandering around the store occasionally popping a squat, and feeling around in there, but nothing came of it. (The squatting, I mean.)

Yes, to answer your question, the GFPD was called by this time.

Eventually, the man goes into the alcove of the store and after messing with his behind and such and eats a candy bar he had taken. He proceeds to go outside and try to pop more squats. When nothing came out, he started putting rocks and garbage IN.

But wait, there's more.

THEN, he proceeds towards McDonalds on 10th. He runs across a dead squirrel in thre road and messes with that for a bit and proceeds to the Phoenix apartments. He took his rear-end-dead-squirrel-touching hands and rubs it all over the mailboxes there.

The police came to the Phoenix and wouldn't apprehend the man until they had back-up. The officer told the manager of the store he'd been in for such a long time where nobody came to help, that he didn't dare try to take him in alone.

Dude.

Don't EVEN try to "Safety Levy" me on this. This is basic town safety. For ALL involved.