Police: The Forgotten Service Provider (From Police and the Homeless: Creating a Partnership Between Law Enforcement and Social Service Agencies in the Development of Effective Policies and Programs, P 58-86, 1997, Martin L. Forst, ed. - See NCJ-167769)

• NCJ Number: 167773
• Author(s): M R Plotkin; T Narr
• Date Published: 1997
• Length: 29 pages
• Sale Source: Charles C. Thomas
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This chapter summarizes the Police Executive's Research Forum's recent study of law enforcement responses to homelessness.

Abstract

The Forum's study included a survey of all municipal, county and consolidated law enforcement agencies serving populations over 50,000 or employing 100 or more sworn officers. Fourteen jurisdictions were then selected for further on-site study. The survey's major findings are detailed in discussions of: police perceptions of street people and related issues; police records on street people; policies and training; the police response; and programs and practices. Because the police response to homeless-related incidents often involves a wide range of non-law-enforcement service providers, the Forum's survey asked respondents to rate their satisfaction with social service resources in their jurisdiction. Several completed surveys had comments peripherally related to questions on the instrument that are of special interest in assessing the police response to street people, e.g.: (1) Cities should not provide too much homeless shelter because other jurisdictions would then ship their homeless to that city; (2) How should the police deal with people who refuse assistance? and (3) The homeless should not be a police program. Tables, notes