Homeless person – what to do?

A person experiencing homelessness has, as the word itself suggests, no home. Meeting someone who is homeless may feel unpleasant or unsettling, but the mere presence of these people in public space is not unlawful. They cannot be ordered to leave unless they are committing an offence or putting themselves or others at risk. 

When should you call the municipal police?

Contact the municipal police if the person

• is drinking alcohol where this is prohibited - OZV 10/2020 (generally binding municipal ordinance)
• is begging aggressively or in a way that harasses others - our officers deal primarily with harassing forms of begging; the purpose of the ordinance is not to criminalise poverty - OZV 3/2018 (generally binding municipal ordinance)
• is soiling or littering public space
• is disturbing public order (shouting, abusive language, causing public offence)

Call the emergency medical service if the person

• is unconscious
• is clearly in a medical emergency
• is hypothermic, soaked through or disoriented in freezing weather
• is otherwise at risk of harm to their health

What not to do

• if the person is behaving aggressively, do not approach them; keep a safe distance
• do not get involved in the conflict, call the municipal police or the Police of the Czech Republic
• stay humane: if the person is calm and willing to talk, point them towards the social services available, shelters or low-threshold centres, ideally the Salvation Army (Armáda spásy) in Nákladní Street
• If you are unsure, you can always call the municipal police and describe the situation – we will advise you on what to do.

Municipal police operations centre  📞 353 153 911

📞 156