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🚨 Policing Homelessness Isn’t Optional – But Leadership Can Change the Outcome 🚨 After 29 years in law enforcement, I discovered a truth: you can’t arrest your way out of homelessness, but you can create the conditions for change. I’m excited to share my flagship keynote: “You Can No Longer Stay in Your Lane: Reinventing the Police Response to Homelessness.” In this 45–60 minute session, I guide agencies through: ✅ Reframing outreach as a leadership assignment ✅ Applying compassion as a tactical skill ✅ Reducing systemic costs while improving outcomes ✅ Developing leaders at every rank through field-tested strategies This

Many thanks to returning guest blogger Jackie Cortez from ThePreventionCoalition.org. In this post, Jackie discusses how to manage stress effectively in outreach work. The Prevention Coalition was founded by a group of retired school counselors and therapists to provide an accessible drug use and abuse prevention resource for parents, teachers, counselors and other concerned adults. ——————– Police officers, social workers, and homelessness advocates carry the weight of urgent calls, public misunderstanding, legal constraints, and scarce resources while trying to stay steady and fair. The core tension is clear: the work demands calm decision-making, yet the pace and conflict can push

Rethinking Policing, Rebuilding Lives: What Tampa Can Teach Every City About Homelessness

Many thanks to returning guest blogger Jackie Cortez from ThePreventionCoalition.org. In this post, Jackie discusses how small actions can lead to meaningful changes in the fight to end homelessness. The Prevention Coalition was founded by a group of retired school counselors and therapists to provide an accessible drug use and abuse prevention resource for parents, teachers, counselors and other concerned adults. Image via Freepik From Sidewalk Conversations to Systemic Change: Your Role in Ending Homelessness Sometimes it feels like the problems are too big. You walk past someone sleeping under scaffolding or sitting on the steps of a closed deli

Many thanks to returning guest blogger Jackie Cortez from ThePreventionCoalition.org. In this post, Jackie discusses the importance of advocating for vulnerable children, including those that are homeless or in foster care.  The Prevention Coalition was founded by a group of retired school counselors and therapists to provide an accessible drug use and abuse prevention resource for parents, teachers, counselors and other concerned adults. Image: Freepik Lifting Up the Future: How You Can Advocate for Vulnerable Children When you think about the world’s most vulnerable children, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. The statistics alone—millions of kids without homes, millions more in

https://homelesspolice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/wmnf_240405_110600_sky1_468.mp3 Former police homeless liaison officer discusses Florida’s controversial encampment law

This is a recording of my presentation to the 2024 National Sheriffs’ Association Winter Conference in Washington, D.C. I cover issues such as: How did homelessness, addictions and mental illness become a law enforcement issue? How to navigate the politics of these issues (and not lose the next election). Redefining the sheriff’s role in the 21st Century: You can no longer “stay in your lane. Legal issues including the upcoming SCOTUS case Johnson v. Grants Pass Oregon. Originally recorded 02/03/2024. Click here to download the presentation.

First responders are the first to rush into a hazardous situation to help those in need. Unfortunately, we are often the worst offenders for effective self-care. In our very first guest blog, Jackie Cortez talks about self-care for first responders. She works with The Prevention Coalition to find resources on every aspect of addiction, including recovery. Jackie believes that every child and young adult deserves the opportunity to make a fully educated decision on drug use. The Prevention Coalition was founded by a group of retired school counselors and therapists to provide an accessible drug use and abuse prevention resource

At a time when sheriffs are being asked to do more with less, communities are demanding answers on issues that were not traditional addressed by law enforcement such as homelessness, addictions and better mental health responses. if you are looking for answers to take back to your community, then you should come and see my presentation (Saturday, February 3rd at 10:30 AM) at the National Sheriffs’​ Association (NSA) Winter Conference in Washington D.C. My talk, entitled “The Sheriff’s Guide to Navigating the Politics of Homelessness, Addictions & Mental Illness” will provide a lively discussion of these timely issues along with

I’m here at the National Sheriffs’​ Association #Sheriffs2022 getting checked-in. Hope to see you on Thursday at 9:15 AM in room 2209 for “The Top 10 Reasons to Start a Police Homeless Outreach Team (and How)”.