Milwaukee Police Department targets Homelessness

Milwaukee Police Department targets Homelessness

Blog Post

Every night, approximately 1,000 people endure life on the streets in Milwaukee, Homelessness comes at a very high cost—to individuals, communities, and systems of care. High rates of homelessness may cause an increase in expenses for state and local services due to a more frequent use of emergency rooms, crisis response services and public safety systems.

There are three different types of homelessness: transitional, episodic, and chronic.

  • Transitional Homelessness: Occurs when a person or family has to leave their home for a short period of time due to a catastrophic event.
  • Episodic Homelessness: Occurs when an individual or family has experienced homelessness three or more times in the past year. 
  • Chronic Homelessness: Occurs when an individual has experienced homelessness for a long period of time, typically a year or more—commonly correlated with a disabling condition such as serious mental illness, substance use disorder, or a physical disability.  

According to statistics around homelessness, an estimated 10 to 15 percent of individuals that are homeless will likely experience chronic homelessness.  First responders and public service partnerships can play a crucial role in crafting an effective response to chronic homelessness which make up 57 percent of the homeless population in major cities and 33 percent in counties or smaller cities.   Due to high percentages in the chronic homeless population, this blog will discuss law enforcements approach in decreasing chronic homelessness. 


Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Police Department’s Response


In 2010, The Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Police Department (MPD) enhanced their approach to chronic homelessness after noticing people sleeping or staying on public forms of transportation for extended periods of time, individuals intentionally committing a crime to get arrested, and a consistent reoccurrence of critical incidents (e.g., hypothermia, heat exhaustion, panhandling, and assaults). In response, MPD created the Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) composed of police officers, mental health professionals, and social service representatives to conduct outreach to the homeless population. This team of officers and service providers are trained and assigned to work with homeless individuals to encourage and provide referrals to housing and appropriate services. 


HOT Officers are also members of the Crisis Intervention Team and receive training on how to engage through positive, non-enforcement measures in their encounters with those experiencing homelessness. Through the program and training, law enforcement, and mental health and substance use disorder service providers have created an innovative first responder model that supports behavioral health, connects individuals to treatment, reduces stigmas, and diverts people from the criminal justice system. 


HOT Officers conduct outreach in temporary encampments and other areas where homeless individuals stay. The officers build relationships with these individuals by offering resources for survival such as clothes, supplies, meals, and warming rooms during colder months. Volunteers from the community participate in these efforts to give support to individuals experiencing these conditions and to public safety officials. 


MPD Homeless Outreach Team Partnerships


Beyond meeting their basic survival needs, the MPD and its partners work collaboratively to provide chronically homeless individuals with services to address the underlying issues that led individuals to homelessness. The MPD Homeless Outreach Team established a partnership with the Milwaukee County Housing First Initiative for individuals and families experiencing chronic homelessness. The Housing First Initiative combines state, county, city, and community resources to provide permanent and independent “low barrier” housing followed by wrap-around services to enhance and sustain participants’ quality of life by relieving housing and financial stressors. This initiative views housing as the foundation for life improvement and enables access to permanent housing without prerequisites or conditions beyond those of a typical renter (security deposit, credit score, yearly contract, etc.).  


HOT Officers can refer individuals and families to the Housing First Initiative to begin the application process. When accepted into the initiative, each participant is assigned a caseworker and invited to participate in supportive services such as financial literacy workshops, job fairs, life skill courses, and program meetings. 


The HOT Officers and Milwaukee County Housing First Initiative meet once a quarter to share data and experiences, as well as to discuss and plan ways to meet the needs of the homeless population. Outcomes of the meetings are drafted into a plan of action by the MPD HOT Officers to address new issues that arise. As a result of these policing efforts and community partnerships a significant impact has been made on the homeless population resulting in declines in jail and emergency room usage.  


For more information or resources:

This blog post is part of a series highlighting community understanding and respect of law enforcement. This project is funded through the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
 

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