Steadfast Security, Inc.’s Post

#homelessness #riskmanagement #riskmanager #publicsafety #publicsector I am thinking about coordinating a Panel on the Topic of Homelessness for Public Entity Risk Managers. My most recent interest in the topic is due to the Homeless Encampment Fire that led to the closing of the 10 fwy. The Damage to and repair cost of public infrastructure; loss of revenue to local businesses; the time and impact of Los Angeles Commuters were all extreme. Some of the questions I am interested in exploring are: 1. What Type of City Resources do you have to support the Homeless? Do you have both PD related outreach and NonPD outreach supported by City Dollars? 2. Has Homelessness gotten worse with the recent Migration Crisis? Are your resources being stretched thin for your city's native poor and homeless due to the Migrant Crisis? 3. After the homeless encampment fire under the 10 Fwy in Los Angeles, do you think we should pursue statewide legislation to prevent homeless encampments under and near important infrastructure that will provide our local PD tools for enforcement and removal of such encampments? Would you be interested in this as a roundtable discussion? Do you have other questions about homelessness that you would like to include? Please let me know in the comments below! Briza Miranda-Morales, Dr. Tyrone Spears, ARM, WCCP, IPMA-SCP , Sanchez, MPA, NP Julian E. Robinson Shauna Biagio DeAnna Soria William Garcia, MBA, CPDM Roxana Ramírez Sheila Shanahan Naela Cansino, ARM Sandy Avina, MBA Alvaro Valdez Josh Diggs

When it comes to whether or not clearing encampments is effective let me share some of the things I saw while actually standing on the street and speaking directly with those affected. 🗝 Camps are the result of having nowhere to go, so clearing the camp has no impact on that. There is still nowhere to go. 🗝 While the dangers of encampments are obvious to the general public, one thing to remember is that they have collected provisions such as food, basic shelter and hygiene products. Much of that gets destroyed or lost in the displacement process. They have to start over and where do they get those needed supplies? 🗝 They are a community of people who share struggles but have also created a strong bond amongst each other. There is a real trauma associated with continual separation from your street family. 🗝 I know where they go. They go to bus shelters, other encampments and into the hundreds of burned and unliveable properties in the inner city. Just this time they are in dire need of food, water, warmth and other provisions left in the camp. Let's talk about a more human approach: 🔧 It takes a lot of planning using city resources to clear an encampment: trucks, dozers, front end loaders, bobcats, police, Fire, EMT's, city staff, etc.... What if that same level of planning and people and equipment power went into to determining the next step for those in the camp. Sure we have front end loaders but what about temporary shelters. How do we ensure that, as they transition, they do not lose items they need to sustain themselves. 🔧 What community resources (not city resources), social enterprises and local businesses are on hand to share capabilities and expertise? What can the city do to create a dedicated group who is committed to helping solve the problem and not actually bulldoze it out of sight temporarily. Community groups need to be given the support to work together to utilize resources the same way as cities and municipalities. The moral of the story? What can you do to change this outcome? ☮ Volunteer. Be the change. See with your own eyes and heart. Get boots on the ground in your community, even if just for a little bit. Once you see the problem for yourself; you'll know what to do because we are born to care for each other. Reading news stories does not impact you like volunteering does. #communityengagement #homelessnessawareness #loveoneanother #voteforchange #endhomelessness

ICYMI: The challenges and impacts of homelessness affect all of our communities, and it is only through partnership, collaboration and collective action like the State Right of Way Safety Initiative that we can begin to meet the need. https://lnkd.in/gPDtccqe

Addressing Unseen Crisis: 170,000 Homeless in California 1. California is home to over 170,000 homeless individuals, constituting more than 30% of America's entire homeless population. 2. A staggering 50% of these individuals are unsheltered, battling through varied weather conditions day and night. 3. This situation underscores a dire need for enhanced empathy, bolstered support, and sustainable solutions to eradicate homelessness. 4. It’s imperative to magnify awareness, champion change, and systematically uplift our community members languishing in need. Let’s synergize our efforts to not just observe, but actively combat this crisis, ensuring our fellow citizens are not merely surviving, but thriving. Together, we navigate towards a future where homelessness is a distant memory. #EradicateHomelessness #ComprehensiveSupport #CommunityUpliftment #StrategicSolutions #CaliforniaHomelessnessCrisis #CommunitySolidarity #SustainableChange #EmpathyInAction #RobustSupportSystems #CollectiveEffort

Exploring Homeless: Low Barrier Shelters They offer safe havens without strict entry conditions. These shelters understand diverse challenges, making support more accessible. By lowering barriers like sobriety rules, they create welcoming spaces for refuge, services, and stability. Why's it a game-changer? It respects unique journeys out of homelessness. Dignity and compassion empower individuals on their terms, fostering trust. This also significantly increases the effectiveness of wrap-around services. Let's learn and advocate for inclusive solutions. 💙🤝 #HomelessFacts #EmpathyInAction

In a recent ruling that has sent shockwaves through our community, the Grants Pass court decision stands as a stark reminder of the potential long-term damage that can result from misguided legal actions. The decision to criminalize certain behaviors not only fails to address the root causes of complex social and health problems but also threatens to undo the hard-won progress made in reducing stigma, restoring dignity, and educating our society. By choosing punitive measures over compassionate and holistic solutions, the Grants Pass ruling risks perpetuating cycles of harm and exclusion that only serve to deepen existing social divides. Criminalization often exacerbates the very issues it seeks to address, pushing vulnerable individuals further into the margins of society and hindering their access to essential support systems and resources. Unfortunately, the fallout from this decision is not limited to the immediate impact on those directly affected by the ruling. It has the potential to erode the trust and collaboration built between local communities and justice systems. Prioritizing punishment over rehabilitation and support, we risk alienating those in need and further entrenching harmful stereotypes and biases. Let this ruling serve as a wake-up call to the dangers of short-sighted and punitive approaches to social issues. I stand firm in my commitment to building a more inclusive and equitable society, one that values the dignity and well-being of all its members. Two steps backwards doesn't mean I won't still take one step forward. #GrantsPassRuling

A very important read about the false promises of laws that would criminalize homelessness. In practice, these laws aren't reducing homelessness at all. In fact, they're creating chaos and making the work to rehouse people even harder. The reason is simple: because they are written by people who don't understand the issue at all, but do understand the political advantages of demonizing vulnerable populations. https://lnkd.in/ea2UCe2V

Emergency weather response. It’s coming to a community near you! As a human in the world I can say from personal experience that times are genuinely tough. There’s so much to struggle through these days it can feel like we’ve lost control of our lives—sometimes causing us to double down on our instinct to protect ourselves, and our loved ones. But I encourage all of us to try, this season, to extend that protection outwards to people we don’t know. We can talk all we want about the reality we would like to see but a housing crisis is our current reality—and the data is telling us it’s a reality we can no longer ignore. So, when that community church and non-profit society steps up this winter to say, “help us help them,” I sincerely hope those willing to act for change show support for welcoming unhoused individuals inside those doors and out of the cold. This is the very least we can do to ensure folks don’t die from exposure. It’s time to put aside our own fears for ourselves, and lean into fearing for strangers with the understanding that while everyone may not want our help, we’re going to help regardless. That’s the only way real change can be sustained. It will always be a group effort.

We know that activating our severe weather response protocols often results in harder work and longer hours for the service providers who expand their services. We are deeply thankful for your time, effort, and care in these times—especially over holiday weekends.     We also know that this is not the ideal state for the homelessness response system, which is why improvements are part of our 5-Year Plan.  

I am a fierce advocate for Shelter First, I truly believe it is the single most important and crucial step at this time to provide stability, safety, security and access to services for those who are homeless. It is important to also point out that this is a transitional step whilst housing stock scrambles to catch up, but once it does, it facilitates an easier pathway towards getting our people back in a home. We do have a national emergency when it comes to homelessness and we should afford the sector the powers of disaster management and the appropriate levels of funding to allow a quick response to mobilise shelters - like we can in times of natural disaster. The mental and physical toll homelessness is having on our people is unimaginable and will have far reaching consequences now and in to the future. We should be doing everything within our powers to make sure no one is left outside and suffering. Governments need to step outside their comfort zones and get comfortable with imperfect solutions - it is better in my view to take the risk on helping our people rather than taking the risk not to help our people. It is better to have tried, than to have not tried at all. #homelessness #nationalemergency #queensland #australia #disastermanagement #advocacy #nooneleftoutside #shelterfirst