Tulsa police will partner with social service agencies next week to gather information about homelessness in the community.
“Operation Direct and Connect” brings together officers and case workers to engage persons experiencing homelessness. The goal is to use the information compiled to inform policy decisions while at the same time directing those in need to social services.
“We have a lot of data, but we also have a lot of theories and guesses. Since we are already interacting with people experiencing homelessness because of calls, we want to take it a step further,” Tulsa Police Capt. Shellie Seibert said in a news release. “Our team continues to collect more information during this round of outreach to better understand the magnitude of the homelessness problem and the unique circumstances of each person.
“We want to use the new information to update our solutions to help reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness, and hopefully give us more solutions to prevent it. You can’t have solutions until you understand the problems.”
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The first “Operation Direct and Connect” took place in 2018. During that nine-day effort, police and social workers met 260 people experiencing homelessness and assessed the needs of 188 of them. Fifty-one people were given the opportunity to resolve outstanding municipal warrants.
Other city departments involved in the program are the Fire Department, Working in Neighborhoods and Municipal Courts. The city’s social service partners are Mental Health Association Oklahoma and Family & Children’s Services.
The engagement teams comprise two police officers and two or three case workers. Next week, the teams will focus on one of TPD’s patrol divisions — Gilcrease, Mingo Valley and Riverside.
“The goal of this project is to determine the needs of the unsheltered/homeless population and connect them to the appropriate social service,” Seibert said.
Another goal is to try to ensure that individuals experiencing homelessness understand what city ordinances they could be violating. The hope, Seibert said, is that providing that kind of information will lead to fewer citizen complaints and free up officers for other work.
“Tulsa officers already are called out on enforcement issues, taking time and money from handling more serious calls, so why not have them actively gathering information that can lead to better results in the future?” she said.
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A temporary emergency homeless shelter will open tomorrow at the former Juvenile Justice Center. This is a collaborative effort among The Salvation Army and other local homeless service providers.
Gallery: Outreach continues for people experiencing homelessness amid the COVID-19 outbreak
Gallery: Outreach continues for people experiencing homelessness amid the COVID-19 outbreak
Tulsa's homeless outreach
Heather Sisson from Mental Health Association Oklahoma walks through an encampment of people experiencing homelessness below the levee west of downtown Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and City Lights Foundation continue deliver care packages and COVID-19 information to homeless camps throughout Tulsa. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Tulsa's homeless outreach
Megan Smith (left) talks with James Knutson from Mental Health Association Oklahoma at her camp below the levee west of downtown Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and City Lights Foundation continue deliver care packages and COVID-19 information to homeless camps throughout Tulsa. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Tulsa's homeless outreach
Jessica Kelly from Mental Health Association Oklahoma does outreach to encampments of people experiencing homelessness west of downtown Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and City Lights Foundation continue deliver care packages and COVID-19 information to homeless camps throughout Tulsa. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Tulsa's homeless outreach
Amanda Pippin from Mental Health Association Oklahoma makes her way down to an encampment of people experiencing homelessness below the levee west of downtown Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and City Lights Foundation continue deliver care packages and COVID-19 information to homeless camps throughout Tulsa. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Tulsa's homeless outreach
Creating a handbook of rights for people who have mental health challenges and needing legal help is among the projects of the Oklahoma Appleseed Center. This 2020 photo shows a social worker talking with a man who is living at an encampment near downtown. Many people who are homeless have interactions with law enforcement. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Tulsa's homeless outreach
Amanda Pippin (left) and James Knutson from Mental Health Association Oklahoma walk along the Arkansas River while doing outreach to encampments of people experiencing homelessness west of downtown Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and City Lights Foundation continue deliver care packages and COVID-19 information to homeless camps throughout Tulsa. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Tulsa's homeless outreach
Workers from City Lights Foundation and Mental Health Association Oklahoma make their way to encampments of people experiencing homelessness below the levee west of downtown Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and City Lights Foundation continue deliver care packages and COVID-19 information to homeless camps throughout Tulsa. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Tulsa's homeless outreach
Robbie Riddle talks to outreach workers from from Mental Health Association Oklahoma his encampment below the levee west of downtown Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and City Lights Foundation continue deliver care packages and COVID-19 information to homeless camps throughout Tulsa. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Tulsa's homeless outreach
Roland Johnson collects items given to him by outreach workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma at Johnson's encampment west of downtown Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and City Lights Foundation continue deliver care packages and COVID-19 information to homeless camps throughout Tulsa. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Tulsa's homeless outreach
A man who lives at an encampment below the levee west of downtown holds a COVID-19 information brochure he got from social workers doing outreach Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and City Lights Foundation continue deliver care packages and COVID-19 information to homeless camps throughout Tulsa. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Tulsa's homeless outreach
Megan Smith (left) talks with James Knutson from Mental Health Association Oklahoma at her camp below the levee west of downtown Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and City Lights Foundation continue deliver care packages and COVID-19 information to homeless camps throughout Tulsa. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Tulsa's homeless outreach
Jennifer Rivera (left) from Mental Health Association Oklahoma takes her temperature before doing outreach with people experiencing homelessness Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and City Lights Foundation continue deliver care packages and COVID-19 information to homeless camps throughout Tulsa. At right is Amanda Pippin, also with Mental Health Association Oklahoma. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Tulsa's homeless outreach
Jennifer Rivera (left) and Jessica Kelly from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and Zak Bates of City Lights Foundation walk below the levee looking for encampments of people experiencing homelessness west of downtown Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and City Lights Foundation continue deliver care packages and COVID-19 information to homeless camps throughout Tulsa. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Tulsa's homeless outreach
Megan Smith (left) talks with James Knutson and othter workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma at her camp below the levee west of downtown Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and City Lights Foundation continue deliver care packages and COVID-19 information to homeless camps throughout Tulsa. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Tulsa's homeless outreach
Heather Sisson from Mental Health Association Oklahoma approaches Matthew Gee's tent to leave him a care package and COVID-19 information at an encampment below the levee west of downtown Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and City Lights Foundation continue deliver care packages and COVID-19 information to homeless camps throughout Tulsa. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Kevin Canfield
Staff Writer
I cover local government in Tulsa from the mayor to city council. Phone: 918-581-8313
