DATE/TIME: December 1, 2023 / 6:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
INCIDENT: Operation Shelter Me
LOCATION: Yucaipa and Surrounding Communities
SUMMARY: On Friday, December 1, 2023, from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the Community Service & Reentry Division, Homeless Outreach Proactive Enforcement Team (H.O.P.E.) conducted "Operation Shelter Me" in the city of Yucaipa and surrounding unincorporated areas of San Bernardino County. Operation Shelter Me aims to connect staff with unhoused residents and offer them housing, medical and mental health treatment services. During this operation, the team focused on those with the most significant mental illness to get those individuals linked to restorative mental health pathways.
The H.O.P.E. Team located 21 individuals experiencing homelessness. The team was able to link a mother and daughter who recently became unhoused to bridge housing and will continue to work on finding services which will provide them access to longer term housing. The team provided 19 individuals with referrals to programs for assistance. Seven individuals were linked with follow-up professional services. While service capacity is limited, the teams will continue to work with this population to get them into services as they become available.
In June of 2023, San Bernardino County opted into Laura’s Law, also called Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT). Laura’s Law provides opportunities for court-ordered community treatment pathways for individuals with histories of hospitalization or incarceration, and histories of violence to themselves or others. During this operation, deputies did not locate any individuals who met criteria for Laura's Law services.
The team provided this focused outreach due to Senate Bill 170, which provided funding to the Sheriff's Department to support ongoing operations of this nature. The H.O.P.E. Team and other aligned resources will continue operations of this type throughout the county over the next several years.
If you know of persons experiencing homelessness who need services, please get in touch with the H.O.P.E. Team at 909-387-0623 or [email protected]
Refer: The H.O.P.E. Team
Station: Community Service & Reentry Division
Phone No. (909) 387-0623
SHANNON D. DICUS, Sheriff-Coroner
San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department
