Police mourn homeless drunk they arrested almost 1,000 times and considered a friend

He was one of the most recognizable residents in Saskatoon, Canada, and some people consider the Prairie city a little different now that he's gone. Alvin Cote wasn't a well-known politician, businessman or hockey player, but a ragged, homeless alcoholic whose tough talk would easily melt into a hearty chuckle and a big smile short on teeth.

He spent the past couple of decades living in Saskatoon. He could be seen curled up on the floor of a bank foyer, sleeping on park benches or reading worn copies of National Geographic in the drunk tank. He died on April 19, a few days shy of his 60th birthday. Saskatoon police officers are still talking about his death, even though they considered it an inevitable fate.



Although his obituary does not list an official cause of death, police say Cote was in hospital with pneumonia when he died. Downtown beat officer Const. Derek Chesney was surprised and saddened when he heard the news. He saw the man almost every day over the past five years. It's believed Cote had been arrested more times for public drunkenness than anyone else in the city's history.

Some officers put the tally at close to 1,000. "It's not often that you can arrest somebody on multiple occasions and end up being friends with them. But such was the case with Alvin," Chesney recently wrote on his official police blog, Cops and Bloggers. The officer confesses that he had a good cry after writing the online tribute.

Full story here.