Police officers are often the first responders on homelessness; they shouldn’t be

The calls come into police dispatchers at all hours. A person soliciting donations in front of a supermarket.  Someone sleeping on a sidewalk. An abandoned car being used for shelter. Calls from distressed neighbors wanting to help but unsure where to turn.

Police officers aren’t social workers, but we have nevertheless come to expect them to carry the same skills and expertise. The officers themselves are among the first to acknowledge that, when it comes to people experiencing homelessness, the firm hand of the law is often exactly not what this very vulnerable population needs.  Being homeless, mentally ill or addicted to drugs aren’t crimes. Typically, what police officers responding to these calls find are people desperately in need of shelter, addiction or mental health counseling, or simply reconnection with family members or organizations who can help get them back on their feet.

Read more here: Police officers are often the first responders on homelessness; they shouldn’t be