Jackson Free Press

Kenosha "Giggles" Johnson has become a staple in Fondren. Often with a blanket in tow, Johnson hangs out in front of businesses along State Street and occasionally receives strange looks from people who walk by.

Johnson often points to the sky and speaks inaudibly to no one in particular. He appears disoriented, and at times he approaches people and makes them uncomfortable, business owners say.

On Tuesday, Aug. 16, Jackson police officers arrested Johnson for panhandling. They held him in the city's jail, but within hours he was back in Fondren, sitting at his usual bench on the corner of State and Mitchell streets. Although many Fondren residents know Johnson and feel uneasy about his arrest, they recognize that there is no easy solution to help him.

JPD has arrested Johnson nearly a dozen times this year. Precinct 4 Commander Wendell Watts said he witnessed Johnson asking people for money on Aug. 16 and, because that breaks a city ordinance, officers took him to jail.

Watts presumed that due to overcrowding, officials released Johnson that same day.

Watts said officers can't take people to a state mental-health facility unless they pose a threat to themselves or others, but will try to take homeless people to a shelter such as Gateway Rescue Mission or the Salvation Army.

"I think we have taken him to the hospital before, and they have deemed him safe enough to be out on the streets," Watts said.

Watts said JPD tries to help the homeless, but they can't always control what happens after shelters work with them.

"We have a process we have to follow in getting help from the shelters," he said. "We try to help the homeless before we do anything as far as jail or mental facilities. People do have hard times and need assistance, but we can't control what these facilities do. ... This is an ongoing issue with a lot of them because it's like they don't want help."

David Waugh, president of the Fondren Association of Businesses, said business owners frequently express concerns about Johnson and other homeless men and women deterring their customers.

"As far as we know, he is harmless to himself and to others," Waugh said.
"He takes care of himself--though not as much as we'd like. But when he is making these noises or threats it becomes scary, and it's rough for these businesses to have someone like that sitting out front."

Waugh said that the only option business owners feel they have is to call the police.

"We have talked to legal counsel about what it takes to remove people from the community," he said. "We did so because we were listening to our membership. ... He is a public nuisance, but he doesn't pose a direct threat, and so there is nothing you can do."

Waugh said he is considering giving Johnson a job such as picking up trash, or providing other opportunities for Johnson to be productive.

"We wish it was a problem that goes away, but we recognize that it's not going to, so how do we find ways to address it?" Waugh asked. "I think we have to learn how to embrace him as a neighbor."

Ron Chane, owner of Swell-O-Phonic, admits that he has called the police on a number of occasions when Johnson has disturbed customers. He said he felt conflicted about calling the police.

"When we first started coming up, everyone was real accommodating to him, but sometimes your desire to want to help gets clouded by the fact that he's a distraction," Chane said. "... He has basically taken up residence here."

Drew Mellon, manager at Swell-O-Phonic, said that Johnson's mental state could be keeping him from getting help.

"I don't know if he has the mental capacity to understand the concept of getting help," Mellon said.

Kathy Denton, public relations director at Mississippi State Hospital, said that residents must first go to a regional state health facility before coming to the state hospital. In Hinds County, residents can seek treatment at Hinds Behavioral Health Services, and staff will then decide if the patient should seek long-term treatment at the state facility. It often takes a family member or friend to bring in someone they are concerned about and continue taking them to appointments.

Dr. Tomora Thomas of Hinds Behavioral Health Services said that her organization will sometimes offer JATRAN bus passes for homeless or needy patients. She also said that case managers are assigned to patients and will follow up with them by visiting them, even if they do not have a home.

"The case manager will visit clients to help determine housing needs, medical needs and psychiatric needs," she said.

Previous Comments

ID

164711

Comment

I don't get Jeffery's reference to Eastover? Ohhhh, it's where wealthy white people live and they DEFINITELY dislike Fondren and the random homeless people, despite the fact that two upper echelon (with regards to price) restaurants are located a pitching wedge from Swell-o-phonic, that are undoubtedly patronized by said Eastover residents. Not to mention the myriad of high end boutiques and art galleries. But if we come to the notion that people that live in Eastover aren't inherently racist or go out of their way to ensure pandhandlers are incarcerated then we can't conduct good ole class warfare.

Author

RobbieR

Date

2011-08-24T12:28:14-06:00

ID

164721

Comment

He's clearly schizophrenic and he's non-violent , but he goes through every trash bin emptying them and filling Fondren with litter daily. It's sad to watch and definitely doesn't help our local stores attract new business.

Author

Sanity

Date

2011-08-25T07:36:40-06:00

ID

164742

Comment

I want to put a face on your story about Kenosha Johnson. I lived next door to his mother and step-father for 10 years or more. They had a beautiful home and Konasha and his brother, Eddie, were good students and very popular with students at Callaway. Keonosha's mother was a Registered Nurse and was known as a kind and loving moter to her children. His step-father died some years ago. After graduating from Callaway High School, Kenosha enlisted into the Armed Forces. He was discharged after becoming ill and secondary to some physical and emotional abuse as reported to my spouse who is now deceased. Certainly there are overt signs and symptoms of schizopherenia; however, it is very common for sufferers of this disorder to go into positive symptoms around that age (18)which concers with the age of his leaving the protected nest. Kenosha has experienced a severe loss: His brother, Eddie, was killed and his body was found in the "Muddy Mississippi" several years ago. These kids were very close and Kenosha's condition worsened with the death of his brother. My suggestion is to contact Mr. Edwin LeGrand: He is the Executive Director of the State Department of Mental Health. (601-359-1288). There are Federal funds that support programs that could be of a real benefit to this young man. Mr. LeGrand should be able to direct the course of an action that will yeild remedy. Simply putting Kenosha in a shelter is not the answer: Most of the shelters require that men and women check out in the morning to look for work. They can not return until six in the evening. Kenosha needs total care so that issues of medication compliance, activities of daily living to include the patient's safety can be addressed. Kenosha should be the poster child for one who needs the services of an institution; anything short of this would just be playing into that vicious unending cycle and for Black males, it is more often than not, Jails, not TREATMENT!

Author

justjess

Date

2011-08-26T09:39:03-06:00

ID

164745

Comment

I saw him crossing the street in Fondren just this morning, justjess. Bless his heart. His back story makes it all the more tragic. Let's pray someone gets him some help.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2011-08-26T09:49:38-06:00

ID

164753

Comment

This situation is why mental health advocacy is crucial and needs to be emphasized. One way you can help is by supporting NAMI Mississippi's upcoming walk in November. More about that here.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2011-08-26T11:37:20-06:00

ID

164756

Comment

I agree with LatashaWillis: Mental health advocacy is crucial and needs to be emphasized; however, the walk that is scheduled by NAMI for November 5, 2011 and beginning at 9am will probably be too late for Kenosha Johnson. There are business owners, home-owners, and patrons living in a community called "Fondren". These folks are dealing with one of a communities worse enemies, the fear of being harmed: The fear of losing business is also a businessman's worse nightmares. In support of the comments made by Jeffery Brown in an earlier post on this article, I did not find them "racist". He, in my opinion was simply stating some facts. We have experienced sufferers of mental illness being hauled off to jail and treated as incorriegable(sp) if they did not follow officers command. In Rankin County, just a few years back, a young mentally challenged White male was killed by an officer. This situation does not have to escalate to the point of Kenosha losing his life or being subjected to still another trip to jail. A face has been put on this victim; We know his where-abouts; We know the problems that he is causing for business owners and patrons; We know that if he is eating out of garbage cans, it will not be long before he falls victim to a life-threatening physical illness; We know that it will not be long before some frightened person takes the law into his/her own hands. Since we have all of these facts, can a member of NAMI be contacted for an intervention? Can some of the money already collected by this Organization (NAMI) be used to help secure a safe place for this Callaway High School graduate and former United States Army Soldier who fit the discription and bear the need for mental health services?

Author

justjess

Date

2011-08-26T13:17:00-06:00

ID

164757

Comment

justjess, you can try calling the Jackson office at 601-899-9058. The walk is in November, but services are offered year-round, and I'm sure they have an answer to your questions.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2011-08-26T13:30:32-06:00

ID

164758

Comment

You can also get more information about what NAMI Mississippi does at http://www.namims.org.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2011-08-26T13:41:53-06:00

ID

164759

Comment

@Wes Ehrhardt Did you read the article you referred readers here to and if you did, how could you possible come up with an assessment of: "Problem solved"? Kenosha Johnson is not a simple case of "Homelessness". He is a paranoid schizophrenic. He is without the capacity to make good and effective choices that could render him safe and a contributing person to the community he spens much of his time in. Correct me if I'm wrong, but, I found your comments very insensitive and off-base for the problem that this individual and the community are dealing with. The message was: Send him away to New York: They will give him a one way ticket. We have people in positions here in the State of Mississippi who are receiving great Administrative salaries to address issues of the mentally challenged and the homeless. Why do we have to send our people to other states? Just asking.

Author

justjess

Date

2011-08-26T13:47:36-06:00

ID

164767

Comment

@ Wes Ehrhardt~ I agree with justjess. I don't see how the article you point to solves this problem at all. @justjess~ If the guy is a veteran of the Armed Forced maybe the VA could help also... I have no idea how that works... just throwing it out there. These are the kinds of situations when I believe in a nationalized health care system. I don't know Mr. Johnson but I do know several people who are not productive tax paying citizens but they could be if they had access to proper health care. It's crazy because somehow our system has decided that paying their disability and everything that goes with that is somehow better than helping to get these people back on their feet and able to contribute to the economy.

Author

WMartin

Date

2011-08-28T09:44:43-06:00

ID

164769

Comment

A retired VA Military Chaplin lives in my community. I will contact him for information and direction. Thanks for your understanding and interest, WMartin. I was beginning to question my own sanity.

Author

justjess

Date

2011-08-28T13:55:06-06:00