DATE/TIME: August 22, 2025, 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
INCIDENT: Outreach Operation
LOCATION: The County Area of Fontana and Surrounding Communities
SUMMARY: The Community Service & Reentry Division's Homeless Outreach Proactive Enforcement Team (H.O.P.E.) in collaboration with the Department of Aging and Adult Services, conducted "Operation Shelter Me" in the County area of Fontana and surrounding communities. This operation aimed to connect staff with unhoused residents, offering them housing, medical, and mental health treatment services. During this operation, the H.O.P.E. Team focused on individuals with significant mental illnesses to link them with restorative mental health pathways.
Operation:
· 46 individuals currently experiencing homelesness were contacted by the H.O.P.E. team.
· 29 individuals accepted referral information to assistance programs.
· 7 individuals were connected with local service providers.
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. Under Senate Bill 43, which San Bernardino County adopted in April 2025, the H.O.P.E. Team members evaluated individuals who might benefit from substance abuse and mental health treatment if they were determined to be gravely disabled. The H.O.P.E. Team did not identify any candidates for assisted outpatient or substance abuse treatment during this operation.
The H.O.P.E. Team and other aligned resources will continue similar operations throughout the County over the next year, thanks to special "Community Concerns" funding, approved by the County Board of Supervisors. This funding 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: 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
