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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPersons Experiencing Homelessness (PEH)Addressing Persons Experiencing Homelessness Presented by The COP Team, Officer Owen and Officer Rael-Brook What is homelessness Understanding the law Seal Beach Police Department approach to addressing people suffering from homelessness Available resources for persons experiencing homelessness Next steps Objective: Scan Analyze Respond Assess Persons Experiencing Homelessness Persons without permanent nighttime residence or shelter This can be people living on the streets, in vehicles, shelters, or temporary accommodations Caused by a multitude of reasons, and everyone has a story... Seal Beach has a very small population of Persons Experiencing Homelessness or PEH Seal Beach is a pass-through city, or a corridor between LA County and Orange County, more specifically from Long Beach to Huntington Beach It is not a crime to be unhoused Community Oriented Police Team SBPD has 3 Quality of Life officers. 2 assigned to the COP Team -funded by measure BB QLO -collateral assignment Point In Time Count – Orange County Every 2 years Orange County collects data for PEH in every city There was a 28% increase county wide in PEH from 2022 to 2024 7,322 people in Orange County were experiencing homeless in 2024 Seal Beach had 29 PEH on that day, or less than 1% of the total population This number is not a true reflection, but rather an inflated value of regular PEH in Seal Beach Based on our daily activity and contacts we believe the true number to be less than 10 actual regular PEH in Seal Beach Most people are passing through from LB to HB and vise versa Analyzing City Total number of PEH Total number of full QLO's Seal Beach 29 3 ancillary Cypress 52 4 ancillary Los Alamitos 4 2 ancillary Huntington Beach 433 4 full-time QLO + 4 clinicians Newport Beach 71 4 full-time QLO Westminster 288 4 full-time QLO + 2 clinicians Garden Grove 239 8 full-time QLO + other clinicians Long Beach 3376 16 full-time QLO + other clinicians Calls For Service 2022 – 2024 Year Total calls Related to PEH % 2022 26,980 1041 4.02% 2023 31,520 1084 3.62% 2024 31,500 975 2.23% Understanding the Law Homelessness is not a crime Any unhoused person sleeping on a park bench or lying on the grass is no different than any citizen doing the same thing Grants Pass v. Johnson June 2024 Supreme Court ruled that cities can enforce anti-camping ordinances per their municipal codes What is Camping? SBMC 7.20.020 - Camping & Storage on City Property Section A defines camping or camping paraphernalia as Tents, huts, lean-to's, tarps, cots, sleeping bags,hammocks, and any non-city provided cooking facilities or similar equipment. Section B talks about prohibitions No person shall camp, occupy camp facilities or use camp paraphernalia in or on any city property, public property or public right-of-way No person shall store any personal property in or on any city property, public property or public right-of-way These laws do not apply to private property Persons not welcome on private property are subject to trespassing laws The owner of the property is the only person who may request a person be arrested for trespassing Trespass letters can be filed with SBPD at a business owners request for after hours trespassing enforcement Responding to Homelessness The SBPD takes a compassionate approach to homelessness Focusing on both public safety and the well-being of individuals experiencing homelessness We do not believe in criminalizing homelessness Officers prioritize outreach by attempting to connect PEH with resources Shelter, clothing, toiletries, bus passes, hospitalization, food banks, etc. Do they need medical or mental health services Are they causing quality of life issues? Helping PEH requires a willing participant Enforcement actions are taken only when individuals violate laws such as trespassing, theft or vandalism and have refused assistance. Enforcement specific to public camping Enforcement specific to private property Only property owners can request a person be trespassed A documented verbal advisement is required Refusal or re-occurrence may result in enforcement A trespass letter can be kept on file by SBPD Available Resources Yale Navigation Center in Santa Ana -This is our city's only resource for shelter beds County emergency shelters during inclement weather Orange County Outreach & Engagement team PERT – Psychiatric Emergency Response Team -OC healthcare agency mental health clinicians ride with officers to address mental health related calls 211 Orange County -Connects people to a wide range of county health & human services Additional Available Resources Veterans Hospital for military veterans Collaboration with the City of Long Beach and Long Beach Police Department Hellman Property Management So. Cal Edison Cal Trans for areas related to the freeway Challenges and Issues The biggest challenge is getting PEH to accept help Majority of the time people will refuse assistance Shelter bed availability Yale has up to 425 beds, and on any given day there may be 0-3 beds available The referral process is challenging and is not immediate Balancing community safety while protecting the rights of homeless individuals Public education When to call... If someone is blocking your driveway, walkway, or sleeping on your property Not if someone is sleeping/sitting in the park, beach or on a public bench If someone has a structure set up...ie. A tent in the park or on the beach Is the person causing a disturbance Drunk in public or under the influence Urinating or defecating in public Trespassing on private property A private citizen cannot be a victim of trespassing for a business Talking to out loud alone is not a crime, however if a subject is making verbal threats or is displaying aggressive behavior Overview Training all officers to be QLO's Updating municipal codes to be more specific Continued community outreach and education through social media and other media outlets Increase in resources offered to PEH Questions?