MELISSA HALTERMAN/Arizona Daily Wildcat Like many other members of Tucson's homeless population, Brent Derek Lee frequents the university area.

The homeless community's presence in Tucson can startle students the first time they roll into town.

At any given time of day, members of the homeless community may be asking random passers-by for change, picking cans out of the trash or just hanging out.

Yet, despite the ubiquity of the homeless in the areas immediately surrounding campus - especially Fourth Avenue - their presence on campus is a rarity. When the occasional transients do drop by, they are instantly noticeable. especially in the Main Library.

Bethany Walters, an elementary education junior, recalled her first up-close encounter with a homeless person as "pretty scary."

"When I first moved (to Tucson), I was at a stop sign by a bus stop. My window was rolled down, and a homeless guy stuck his hand into the window," she said.

Though the experience was relatively tame, it changed Walters' opinions on the homeless, especially those who hang out on or near the UA campus.

"It kind of aggravates me that (the homeless) are around colleges. College kids aren't the richest people in the world. I'm working hard to earn money, and I feel like they could too."

The homeless, however, seem to enjoy the university area, thanks in no small part to the students themselves.

"The kids at UA are pretty accepting and, a lot of times, helpful," said Tom, 51, who is homeless by choice. "Even if they don't have any change, some of them will just sit and have a conversation with you. The students here rock in that way. They have less of society's fears because they're younger."

And some students echo that notion. While being a college student isn't the most lucrative, most recognize that they still have it easier than those who are out on the street.

"I'll give any pocket change I have," said Crow Truett, a psychology sophomore. "I won't lie."

This sort of generosity seems to be one of the things that keep many transients going. It's no accident that the homeless frequent Fourth Avenue and downtown Tucson. To varying degrees, Tucson's businesses seem to have adapted to their presence, or at least have become tolerant.

The kids at UA are pretty accepting and, a lot of times, helpful.... Some of them will just sit and have a conversation with you. The students here rock in that way. - Tom, homeless by choice

"The Grill (a local 24-hour restaurant) is the best example of the way Tucson treats homeless people," said Tom, who goes by "The Tramp." "If you carry yourself well, most businesses here treat you with respect."

The help of the Homeguard

Finding other places that are as accepting as The Grill isn't easy. But with the Homeguard, a group of knowledgeable homeless people, there are ways the street-bound can make it in any city.

"The Homeguard is a group of people that stay on the streets in one town their whole lives," Tom said. "Every town has one - Chicago, Philly, L.A. They're sometimes dangerous, depending on the area. They're anywhere between 20 and 2,000 people, or more."

People in Homeguard give advice to others about the places and people at the UA who are the most helpful and accepting. Simply put, Homeguard knows where to sleep and where to eat.

"They guard the streets, become a wealth of information about social work, good dumpsters," Tom said. "It's more of a tribal thing. And we barter. If I want info, I kick this guy a joint or a couple bucks if I have it. They'll fill you in on what you need to know."

While its primary function is to get homeless people tapped into a city's free resources, Homeguard can also function as a sort of network of friends. Spending most of their time being ostracized by a society predicated on land ownership takes its toll on even the most even-keeled transient.

"(Homeguard) isn't standing in judgment," Tom said. "The homeless are straight-up. When you talk to the homeless, you're getting more honesty, in a twisted way."

Surprisingly few "cave dwellers," as Tom likes to call the non-homeless, know about Homeguard.

The ones getting out of hand

The way Tom sees it, the attitudes of students like Walters, who was understandably perturbed by an invasive gesture, may be warranted; but many times, they are based on hearsay, without real interaction with people on the street.

"It's easier to dump crime on people on the streets, but most people on the streets don't want to draw attention to themselves. Most guys on the street want to avoid conflict," Tom said.

Unfortunately, one need only look at some of Tucson's more "eccentric" homeless personalities to see that conflict comes with the territory. Tom claims that "around 80 percent" of the homeless he has met suffer from some form of mental illness, ranging from attention deficit disorder to paranoid schizophrenia. These people are hardly in a condition to avoid trouble if it comes looking for them, and sometimes the UA isn't the friendliest place.

"UA police are notorious for being negative towards the homeless," Tom said. "(The Tucson Police Department) isn't as bad. Campus police don't have as much experience on the streets. (UAPD) are like certified security guards."

UAPD spokesman Sgt. Eugene Mejia claims that campus police are only doing their job.

"This is an open campus," Mejia said. "We don't contact homeless people unless they are doing something illegal or there is a complaint."

As long as they are friendly, most students also don't have a problem with the homeless.

"I don't mind them being (on campus) as long as they're nonthreatening," Truett said. "It's a free place to be."

And let's face it, who knows more about "free" than a homeless person?