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Indio police look to improve Quality of Life for homeless

The last homeless count done by Riverside County showed there are more than 90 homeless people living on the streets in Indio.

That doesn’t count the many who are being housed in local shelters.

Indio Police are doing something new to help get a handle on the homeless situation.

Two officers are assigned to the Quality of Life team through CORP.

CORP stands for community outreach resource program.

One homeless man, Chico Manqueros says, “I’ve been out here for a while, I’ve seen a lot.”

Manqueros says he’s homeless due to a number of bad decisions in life, including joining a gang when he was young and committing a number of crimes.

He also admits to using drugs.

Now, he’s hoping to turn around his life with the help of Officers Brandon Haworth and Jose Ibarra.

As Ibarra says, “Being homeless is not a crime.”

During a ride-a-long, Officer Haworth tells one man, “I’ve got my eye on you.
Again, my goal is not to arrest, but what’s my goal? To help you.”

The mission is help not jail.

They’re keeping an eye on a lot of people and the numbers may go up thanks to recent changes in California law, putting more people back on the streets.

Many of the homeless have recently been released from jail with no where to go.

The Quality of Life Team also focuses on managing the issues that business owners and customers face when it comes to the homeless.

Officers Haworth and Ibarra educate business owners on what they call “crime prevention through environmental design.”

In one case, they recommended a fountain be removed at U.S. Bank at the corner of Highway 111 and Monroe Street.

The fountain was a source of drinking and bathing water for the homeless.
Now it’s gone and people are less likely to hang out in the area.

The officers hope their efforts will pay off for a lot of the people they’re working with.

Manqueros says he’s finally starting to get it, “You know, I’m not getting no 401(k) out of this.”

Homeless Resources in the Coachella Valley

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