HelpCopsHelpUs: Deputy remembers homeless man killed by train

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Deputy remembers homeless man killed by train

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY --Story by Dalia Dangerfield Bay New 9

A Hillsborough County deputy is remembering a Bay area man who was killed by a CSX train Tuesday.

Luis Romo, 71, was crossing the train tracks off of Florida Avenue and Busch Boulevard in Tampa when a train struck him.

Romo had been one of many helped through the Hillsborough County Sheriff's homeless initiative "Help Cops Help Us."

Deputy Steven Donaldson launched the program to get homeless people the help they needed. Donaldson met Romo through the initiative a year ago.

"He had a great personality, you can't help but like the guy," said Deputy Steven Donaldson. "He was a challenge to deal with I'll give him that but when it's all said and done he was a nice old man."

Romo had been living outside an abandoned business on Dale Mabry Hwy. A year ago, Donaldson videotaped his encounter with Romo and told the elderly man that he wanted to help him.

"It was an interesting moment because he started to whimper and called me his angel of God and it's a touching moment," said Donaldson.

Deputy Donaldson found a retirement facility for Romo. But, he left the place and wandered the area to other facilities. Donaldson eventually lost contact with Romo.

It's unclear why Romo was on Florida Avenue, but according to police, he had already crossed the railroad tracks. He doubled back and was hit by an oncoming train.

Although it was a tragic ending, Donaldson says Romo was a success story. They got him off the street, if only for a short time.

Deputy Steven Donaldson
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
Homeless Initiative
District III Office: (813) 247-0330
Email: sdonalds@hcso.tamp.fl.us
Facebook.com/HelpCopsHelpUs
HelpCopsHelpUs.org

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Welcome to Help Cops Help Us: A Homeless Initiative Blog

The Help Cops Help Us homeless initiative is a new problem-solving model centered on the root causes of homelessness. Its philosophy rests on the fundamental human principle that people, all people, will succumb to the human trait of inevitable behavior until intrigued or compelled to act differently.

The uniformed law enforcement officer is the epicenter of the street engagement model that uses a "coupling" technique, motivating each homeless candidate that becomes accountable to a singular and persistent mortal entity -- a street cop.

The coupling effect is a two-pronged approach where candidates who resist assistance and rehabilitation, by default will receive the law enforcement prong when behavior exhibits a callous disregard with laws and a communities desire in maintaining a certain quality of life.

The homeless candidate receives both direct and indirect assistance after a street assessment evaluates their individual needs and problems. We then solve their most basic problems so they may become self-sufficient.

We mend fences, rebuild character, solve their problems, then push them into the water where they are forced to learn how to swim again.

When they are off the streets and into housing we continue to monitor and follow-up until we are certain they have become self sufficient for long term sustainability.