DATE/TIME: November 15, 2024 / 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
INCIDENT: Operation Shelter Me
LOCATION: Barstow and Surrounding Communities
SUMMARY: On Friday, November 15, 2024, from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the Community Service & Reentry Division's Homeless Outreach Proactive Enforcement Team (H.O.P.E.) conducted "Operation Shelter Me" in Barstow and surrounding communities. This initiative aims to connect staff with unhoused residents, offering them housing, medical, and mental health treatment services. During this operation, the team focused on individuals with significant mental illnesses to link them to restorative mental health pathways.
Operation Highlights:
• The H.O.P.E. Team located 35 individuals experiencing homelessness.
• 28 individuals received referrals to assistance programs.
• 20 individuals were linked with follow-up professional services.
• Thanks to community partnerships, one individual was placed in temporary supportive housing, and another was linked to an intensive substance abuse program.
In June 2023, San Bernardino County opted into Laura’s Law, also known as Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT). Laura’s Law provides opportunities for court-ordered community treatment pathways for individuals with histories of hospitalization, incarceration, or violence. During this operation, no individuals were identified as candidates for assisted outpatient treatment.
The H.O.P.E. Team and other aligned resources will continue similar operations throughout the County over the next year, thanks to "Community Concerns" funding. This special funding, approved by the County Board of Supervisors, allows the Sheriff's Department to address topics of concern, such as homelessness and mental illness, for county residents.
If you know of individuals experiencing homelessness who need services, please contact the H.O.P.E. Team at 909-387-0623 or [email protected].
Refer: 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
