Could Metro PD Be Ready To Change Tactics In Addressing The Homeless Population?

There may be a new tactic coming from the metro police department here in Nashville very soon. A Local advocacy group has made some inroads with a member of the department and was asked to submit a proposal to assist a couple of officers with a new "Homeless outreach" effort that would shift the focus from arrests to service linkage by putting the officers with outreach workers and homeless individuals in order to better address the needs and problems of the homeless on the streets of Nashville. Most of my colleagues were understandably concerned in offering their services as a tagalong outreach worker, especially given the recent climate of police aggression here in town; many felt that placing themselves next to a uniformed cop would not bode well for "trust and relationship building" that is perhaps the largest part of our job. I must admit that I too am somewhat apprehensive, but am also cautiously optimistic for a couple of reasons; having cops who understand the unique plights of the homeless is always good and having a "go to" officer for other officers when trying to address a particular problem with the Homeless gives those cops a way to deal with a problem without having to spend a huge amount of time on something usually minor. In fact, I am so optimistic that I volunteered to be one of the first folks to go around with the cops on this effort. There will of course be some things that need to be ironed out prior to our first outing and this of course is all very tentative and in the "discussion" stage at the moment, but Metro is looking at a couple of other police departments around the country for inspiration and seem to have settled, at least at the moment, on the Fort Lauderdale model. Another of the participants in the meeting yesterday has also had the opportunity to spend some time with Denver's Homeless outreach police team, which consists of a couple of uniformed officers and 18 outreach workers. They are operating on a $1.4m budget and things have changed dramatically in Denver regarding the treatment of the Homeless. This model may also be examined for efficacy here, but the real point is that our local police, after years of ticketing and arresting madness, may be coming to their senses and changing policies in dealing with the Homeless. I repeat - I remain cautiously optimistic and hopeful that we can all work together to resolve one of society's ugliest social problems, people sleeping in the streets in the richest nation on earth.

Constructive Alternatives to Criminalization

While many cities engage in practices that exacerbate the problem of homelessness by pursuing criminalization measures, more constructive approaches do exist in some cities around the country. The following examples can serve as more constructive approaches to homelessness.

I. Broward County, Florida - Outreach Teams

The Taskforce for Ending Homelessness, Inc., a not-for-profit agency that provides outreach, education, and advocacy services for the homeless population in Broward County, has partnered with the Ft. Lauderdale police department to help homeless persons get off the street. The partnership formed the Homeless Outreach Team, which was incorporated in 2003 to provide direct outreach services to homeless people. In 2005, the team consisted of two full-time Fort Lauderdale Police officers, two part-time officers, and a civilian partner who is formerly homeless. The team informs chronically homeless individuals of social services available in the community and encourages them to access those services. Repeated visits are often necessary to build rapport, trust, and confidence between the workers and homeless individuals.

In addition, the outreach team has partnered with local shelters to ensure access to beds and services. Those accepting shelter assistance receive priority, entering the program if a bed is open. They are also provided with dinner, breakfast, a hot shower, laundry facilities, and a safe night’s sleep. In its five years of operation, the Homeless Outreach Team has had over 23,000 contacts with homeless individuals and has placed 11,384 people in shelters. Estimates suggest that there are at least 2,400 fewer arrests each year as a result of the Homeless Outreach Team. The Taskforce for Ending Homelessness also has partnered with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department to develop a 2-hour course entitled “Homelessness 101.” The course is designed to raise police officers’ awareness of the reality of homelessness, its causes, and the most effective ways to address this prevalent social problem. The Taskforce also has successfully lobbied the state for a detoxification program specifically for homeless individuals. For more information, contact the Fort Lauderdale Police Department at (954) 828-5700

Homeless Gateway

The Fort Lauderdale Model

by Major Bob Pusins

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department recognizes that the plight of the homeless is one of the nation's most visible social problems, generating widespread calls for governmental intervention. It is also recognized that law enforcement faces the difficult challenge of meeting the expectations and often conflicting demands of the political, business and community leaders, advocates for the homeless, social service providers and the homeless population. It is clear that law enforcement agencies must provide for the safety and integrity of the residential and business communities while protecting the rights, dignity and property of the homeless population. The Fort Lauderdale Police Department Model for police response to homelessness is based on the understanding that the homeless are not "problem people" but rather "people with problems".

Read the entire document

To Respect and Serve

by Art Levine

Reprinted from City Link, August 8-14, 2001

Are Fort Lauderdale’s men in blue friend or foe to the city’s homeless? A unique partnership suggests the former.

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Police Come to the Aid of Homeless

by Alison Hibbert

Reprinted from The Police Chief magazine, May 2000

Richard Courtney remembers when he called the streets of Fort Lauderdale home. Sleeping in doorways of downtown businesses and City parks wasn't uncommon for him or the other homeless people who roamed the streets looking for shelter.

Today, Courtney is a volunteer with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department's Homeless Outreach Program, a proactive approach to dealing with homelessness in the City. Instead of "bum sweeps" and arrests, police officers are trained to provide aid and referrals to the displaced.

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Fort Lauderdale Learns a Lesson

Reprinted from Law Enforcement News, May 2000 John Jay College of Criminal Justice, 555 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019 Web: www.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/len

Police brass in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., seeking to avoid problems that befell neighboring Miami some years back, believe they have created a plan that not only deals sensibly with the city's homeless population, but has prompted a change in the attitude of police officers toward those residents.

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Power of positive policing

By Lisa J. Huriash

Reprinted from the Sun Sentinal - November 12, 2000

FORT LAUDERDALE -- A year-old program in the city's Police Department that cajoles the homeless to leave the streets may become a permanent social-action campaign.

The possibility of continuing the homeless outreach program was announced days after Officer Scott Russell received a statewide award for his work in scouring the streets in search of homeless people and persuading them to get help.

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FLPD Policy 511, Homeless Persons

Effective Date: July 1999

The purpose of this policy is ensure that personnel are sensitive to the needs and rights of the homeless population, to establish procedures to guide police officers during casual and arrest situation contacts with the homeless and to reaffirm that homelessness is not a crime.

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Denver's Homeless Crisis Denver is currently spending over $70 million annually on shelter, healthcare and other stopgap services for the homeless. Yet we still have over 4,600 homeless men, women and children in our city. Did you know that in Denver?

• 43% of the homeless are women and children.
• Many hard-working people have become homeless because they have lost their job or had a healthcare crisis.
• Area shelters can only provide a fraction of the beds that are necessary.
• Over 40% of people in shelters are working and only 10% of the homeless earn money from panhandling.

The Cost of Inaction Studies in New York and Philadelphia showed that the average person who was chronically homeless accessed over $40,000 per year in public services. In San Diego, the costs were as high as $200,000 over 18 months. The details of these costs can be found at the Interagency Council on Homelessness website. These same startling costs are true for Denver's homeless.

• One night in jail cost $174 per arrest. It would not be unusual for four arrests and bookings to occur per year at a cost of $696.
• A monthly stay in emergency shelter costs $775; the typical stay is six months or $4,650.
• Two meals a day at soup kitchens cost $2.66. Meals for 200 days cost $532.
• Emergency room visits costs $1,000. Homeless individuals average two visits per year at $2,000 per homeless person.
• One night at Denver C.A.R.E.S. "detox" center costs $295. Chronic alcohol/drug abusers averaged 80 nights per person last year. The annual cost was $23,600 per person.
• One hospital stay averages $29,921. In 2004, 1,074 homeless people were admitted for hospital stays in Denver. Those who only access healthcare through the emergency room do not receive follow-up care or services beyond immediate intervention, making them more likely to return to the hospital in the future.

Denver's Road Home employs the "Housing First" model of providing stable housing coupled with the appropriate social services. Under this model the cost to house and provide services to the chronic homeless is:

• Monthly rent for an efficiency apartment in Denver is $376. A year's lease totals $4,512. This total cost is reduced as the occupant is stabilized and is responsible for paying 30% of their earned income toward rent. The cost of providing other social services is $10,000 per year.

For people in shelters the cost is less:

• 40% of homeless people living in shelters work. These households are able to initially pay a portion (average: $100/month), the annual subsidy is $3,312. Social services cost is substantially less for a non-chronic homeless person.

Mayor John Hickenlooper and the Commission to End Homelessness, through a comprehensive community effort, have established a plan to end homelessness in the City & County of Denver. Find out more about the plan.

Panhandling is a difficult issue faced by every major city, and Downtown Denver is no exception. People who panhandle may need help, but the experience of numerous social services agencies indicates that money given to individuals on the street often supports destructive habits, including alcohol and drug addiction.

The Downtown Denver Partnership encourages Downtown workers, visitors and residents to redirect their generosity to the institutions best suited to helping our city's homeless and struggling citizens. By donating your money and volunteer time to organizations and service providers, you play an integral part in improving the lives of these individuals.

• View results of survey on panhandling in Denver (pdf, 218k)
• View a summary of the results (pdf, 46k)