Re: EPD survey on homelessness; my thoughts and a suggestion where we do not need to put people into jail, we need to help them

I took the survey, good questions.

Since it asks for a street address, some people may not fill it out, I hope that does not deter people. One does not have to enter name or any other personal information.

There is a comment box that asks for suggestions, right after the question about whether you feel safe in walking your neighborhood, shopping and on parks and trails.

My suggestion to improve those situations, if one feels unsafe, use the buddy system or call 911.

If there is not a threat,  my suggestion is there be a separate phone line to document and dispatch calls. There is a non-emergency number but it can only be used during business hours.  I am suggesting another line during non-business hours which people can use when it is not a 911 situation but they are encountering problems and when they call this line, instead of just the police being sent to deal with someone who is mentally ill, or someone frustrated because they are homeless and just sleeping in a public area or a landlord tenant situation with noise or rules being broken, that in addition to the police, someone from a social services agency or mental health or organizations that help homeless find shelter intervene.

The police are needed in case the situation develops into something more but this is something the police volunteers could help with since staffing is an issue. Agencies could have 1 staff member on call with a rotation.

In certain situations, people do not need to be booked into jail; they just need help. The police should not be doing the work of social services or landlords keeping their properties safe. They are. Especially with landlords who get rent money and it is their responsibility to keep their properties safe and livable.

This could be used in situations where there is no immediate threat to the person calling.

When mentally ill people or people suffering from poverty are confronted with law enforcement, it is just a bandaid to the real problem and it only adds to their anger and frustration. That sometimes leads to acts of crime when they are let out of jail.

Qualified professionals should be making the determinations on whether this person needs to be in jail or taken to mental health or given help. Not citizens.