It’s 6:30am. We’re cruising along North Tryon in a blue-and-white cop car. We drive by an encampment of homeless people, clutching blankets around their shoulders for warmth. One group has built a fire in a tin roasting pan in a parking lot. The officer who is my ride-along partner respectfully tells them they must put it out. They comply and wave as we drive off.
“Are they doing that out of respect?” I ask.
“I’m not sure,” he replies. “They change if they’re caught breaking the law, like yesterday.”…