Hollywood Area Police Officers Reach Out to Assist Homeless Community

"Hollywood Area Police Officers Reach Out to Assist Homeless Community"
 
What:
Hollywood Area Homeless Outreach Effort
When:
Wednesday, September 18, 2001
10:00 A.M.
Where:
Hollywood Community Police Station

Hollywood: The Los Angeles Police Department extends an invitation to members of the media, to observe officers as they engage in outreach efforts to aid members of the Hollywood Area homeless community.
During the early part of the year 2000, Hollywood Area envisioned a program to impact a major quality of life issue; that of "homelessness" in the Hollywood area. It was immediately recognized that the homeless issue was a multi-faceted one, requiring a balanced and equitable approach. It was emphasized that homelessness itself is not a crime. Rather, it is a complex social problem that requires a flexible but firm commitment.
A multi-faceted approach was implemented, utilizing not only law enforcement resources but a myriad of social service and outreach agencies. An action plan was developed to equitably deal with the homeless/transient issue, with the goal being to direct individuals from a life on the street, to appropriate resources aimed at re-establishing them within the community as functioning members.
To date, approximately 2000 homeless persons have been contacted as a result of previous outreach efforts. Of the 2000 contacted, 800 have benefited from these outreach efforts. Tuesday’s event will mark the 18th such effort by Hollywood Community Police Station. In general, Hollywood Area holds an inherent attraction, for those coming from other parts of the country and world, because of it’s rich history of promise. This translates into tangible concerns for the Department and the community as a whole. While the intent of this undertaking is not to target the homeless population for police action, the impact of the homeless issue, with regard to quality of life issues, cannot be ignored.
For further information, please contact Sergeant Bea Girmala at 213-485-4302. This press release was prepared by Public Information Officer Victoria Diaz, Media Relations Section, 213-485-3586.