Redlands Officers Use Outreach to Connect Homeless with Resources

From City of Redlands Police:

Redlands Police conducted an outreach operation in the Santa Ana River Flood Control Area, using an all-terrain vehicle to contact transients camping in the area, distributing water and nutrition bars along with pamphlets listing numerous services and resources available locally for the homeless.

Officers located 18 camps within a six-square-mile area and contacted 11 people in an effort to establish a rapport and put them in touch with available services, including housing, food, hygiene and medical care. Ultimately, police hope to find available housing or shelter programs for anyone who needs it. Officers distributed four cases of water and 80 nutrition bars.

The river wash area, from Orange St. to Redlands Airport, is primarily under the jurisdiction of the Federal Bureau of Land Management, and officers advised those they came in contact with that the BLM would be addressing and clearing the camps.

During the operation, officers also recovered a stolen vehicle.

The Redlands Police Department has four community policing officers, who are also designated homeless liaisons, who work to bring homeless individuals off the streets and connect them with available services and to address crime, nuisance and public safety issues associated with transients, panhandlers and the local homeless population. Issues involving transients and the homeless may be sent by email to homelessIssues@RedlandsPolice.org. Crime and suspicious activity should be reported immediately to Redlands Police at (909) 798-7681, ext. 1, or by calling 911.

The Redlands Police Department works closely with the Redlands Charitable Resource Coalition to address homeless and transient issues and urges residents who wish to provide assistance to please donate to one of the community’s many service providers rather than giving money directly to panhandlers. A list of services and resources available locally for the homeless can be found at the Redlands Charitable Resource Coalition website.

Anyone with information regarding crime or suspicious activity is asked to contact Redlands Police Dispatch at (909) 798-7681, ext. 1. Certain non-emergency crimes may also be reported online using the Redlands Police Department’s CopLogic reporting system online. Suspicious activity and tips can be reported using the Redlands Police Department mobile app, available for android, iPhones and iPads.

Photo courtesy of City of Redlands Police Department