North Sydney cops donate 60 pairs of boots to help the city’s homeless through tough times

POLICE across Sydney have taken part in a drive aiming to help 30,000 people across the state each night who are homeless. Local Area Command in Crows Nest has give close to 60 pairs of boots.

Top Row; Sergeant Cindy Larsson, Sharnie Meyer (Mission Australia), Superintendent Allan Sicard, Glenn Garlick (Mission Australia) and Senior Constable Paul Waite with some of the boots collected from Harbourside LAC.

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POLICE have been putting boots on the ground at Harbourside Local Area Command (LAC) in Crows Nest, and it’s all in a good cause.

“We would have close to 60 pairs of boots to give to the homeless,” police Superintendent and LAC Commander Allan Sicard said.

“Through that we can support those members of our community who have found themselves in this situation and at the same time raise awareness to the wider community that it is not a choice to be homeless,”

Police across Sydney have taken part in the drive which aims to help 30,000 people each night across the state who are homeless.

The boots are collected by Mission Australia who provide them to homeless people. The Commander personally handed over two pairs of the boots from his area to two homeless men in Sydney the day after the drive finished.

Mission Australia receiving donation of police boots. Picture: Annika Enderborg

Commander Sicard — who is also Central Metropolitan Region Sponsor for Homelessness — said there were a number of factors that could contribute to homelessness and most often it was not the fault of those made homeless.

“Domestic Violence makes up over 25 per cent, young people between 14 and 25 years make up over 20 per cent, indigenous over 12 per cent (when you consider the percentage of the population they represent this is disproportionate), rough sleepers seven per cent and veterans seven per cent.”

Commander Sicard said the rising group of homeless people were women over 55 years of age, “who either through the separation or death of a partner do not have the funds to afford housing and face the prospect of becoming homeless”.