Law enforcement going to their city’s homeless hot spots to provide resources as we prepare for a tropical storm
As the entire Coachella Valley is gearing up for a wet weekend, the Cathedral City Police Department and the Palm Springs Police Departments are on their daily ride arounds to homeless camps near bridges and washes.
"I think there's a level of more of a safety concern because of the weather, and the flooding that's coming in, which provides a little kind of a little bit more of a kind of an emergency response in the notification for individuals," says Cathedral City Police Commander, Jon Enos. "And let them know that you know, there, they may be in danger, depending on where they're at. Typically, this time of year, we're trying to get people into a cooling center. So it's a little different this time of year dealing with a potential flood and then notifications. And so we try to emphasize that there are resources available for them to get some assistance if necessary, as opposed to typically the heat related issues."
"Right now, the resources that we have is that the Access Center, which is on El Cielo Road, behind our police department through Martha's kitchen village, 20 beds are going to be available," says Palm Springs Sergeant Frank Guarino. "There are 25 beds available in Indio. And they also have bedding available at the Coachella Valley rescue mission in Indio."
"We partner with the Coachella Valley rescue mission, Coachella Valley Association of Governments, and we formed a great partnership with them in order to be able to provide temporary housing to those who are seeking shelter," says Enos. "So it's a little difficult at times because, more often than not, they're not looking for assistance. They're just looking to maintain their way of life. And we're trying to provide assistance to get them off the street and into a shelter and get resources that would help provide a better opportunity for them. And so it's a little challenging task at times to try to get them the assistance that they need when they're not looking for help.
