NCJ Number
145924
Journal
Journal of Crime and Justice Volume: 16 Issue: 2 Dated: (1993) Pages: 87- 108
Date Published
1993
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This national study of the Nation's largest police agencies (521) obtained data on police department policies, practices, and experiences in dealing with the homeless.
Abstract
Salient findings showed that few departments provide training or have specific organizational resources directed toward the homeless. Even fewer had formal policies or practices related to the homeless. The police acknowledged they must deal with homelessness, but they did not believe it to be a major problem. This finding was tempered with the fact that the police believe other policing problems were more serious and took priority over homelessness. The most severe problems associated with the homeless were mental illness, alcohol abuse, and drug abuse. Police respondents also reported that although there was sufficient residential shelter space available, there was an insufficent number of treatment programs that address individual problems of the homeless. Management problems associated with homeless people pose a difficult situation for the police, since the problem is based in complex socioeconomic factors rather than in traditional law enforcement issues. As a greater understanding of the issues develops through research, more informed and useful police policy can be developed. 8 notes and 17 references