SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Oct. 27, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — The Salt Lake City Police Department on Thursday showed off its two specialized squads meant to deal with city’s homeless.
The department shared the stats for the two six-member officer crews and held a press conference on their first three months of work.
Fully operational since July 9 thanks to a state grant, the Homeless Resource Center squads work to build relationships with the city’s “unsheltered community,” police said, supporting as well as patrolling areas where that population resides.
“These squads serve as conduits to health care, mental health services, and substance abuse treatment,” said Chief Mike Brown. “But more importantly, they are helping to foster positive relationships between law enforcement and our unsheltered community.
“Having these specialized squads is part of the city’s ongoing approach of being proactive and responsive to the very unique needs of our growing community.”
The HRC squads improve the safety and overall well-being of both the “unsheltered” and the surrounding community at the Gail Miller Resource Center and the Geraldine E. King Women’s Resource Center, according to an SLCPD press release.
It cited the following statistics of the two HRC units to date:
- Answered nearly 1,400 calls for service.
- Made approximately 2,900 business contacts.
- Conducted 45 operations to go after criminals who prey on the vulnerable.
- Made almost 250 arrests.
- Made close to 10,000 referrals of at-risk individuals to services, whether through SLCPD’s social workers or victim advocates, the resource centers themselves, or referring people to the SLC mobile app.
Sgt. Ryan Sanders, who oversees the Geraldine E. King Women’s Resource Center squad, said at the press conference the squad’s work was “a perfect balance of compassion and toughness.”
“We engage our community thoroughly,” said Sgt. Nate Meinzer, who heads the Gail Miller Resource Center squad. He described the work as building trust to “break down the ‘us and them’ barriers.”
The HRCs have a New Hope Initiative, which partners with the community to provide tokens to local businesses, according to the press release. These tokens are then used by businesses that witness good deeds happening in the community, positive interaction or kindness.
As community members witness an act deserving of recognition, they will give the community member-in-need a token to express their appreciation. The token can then be traded in at the resource center for a $5 gift card.
Meinzer’s squad hosts weekly events with the Gail Miller Resource Center to engage with community members.
