Neither more nor less

Recently we have published posts concerning Mr. Stevens : pictures of Mr. Stevens in various states of inebriation . Mr. Stevens has been most commonly seen on avenue A drunk out his mind talking to mail boxes , lamp posts , trees , fences and invisible people among other things . He has also been known to pound on the windows of 7A restaurant/bar and Niagara Bar while jabbering and slobbering unintelligibly to the patrons inside . Many in the neighborhood can likely recall having to step over a sleeping Mr. Stevens at sometime in the past . Mr. Stevens has spent the last many years either on the street drunk out of his mind or sober in a jail cell . Mr. Stevens is in trouble and needs help , lots of help . Much more help than is provided by just another period of sober incarceration is needed . Of course on the streets of the East Village Mr. Stevens and his plight are not unique : he has considerable company .

For some time police attempted to communicate successfully with Mr. Stevens in Tompkins Square Park near the infamous chess tables . As this effort failed they followed him in the street . Mr. Stevens , traveling at a snails pace with his loaded pants riding very low , took 15 minutes to cross avenue A on his way from Tompkins Square Park to Nino's Pizza at the corner of avenue A and St. Marks Place . Mr. Stevens appeared to have purchased and eaten a slice of pizza at Nino's . Police easily took Mr. Stevens into custody at the pizza parlor and walked him down avenue A where Mr. Stevens poured and drank his last cup of beer before being cuffed and hauled away by police .

Today police at the scene of the arrest noted that the District Attorney's office is now attempting to put repeat offenders , such as Mr. Stevens , with substance abuse problems not just in a jail cell for a period of sobriety but also into more extensive , longer term rehabilitation programs than in the past before they are released . If this is all true , we certainly hope that it works well for Mr. Stevens .