OCEANSIDE, Calif. (KGTV) -- North County residents are frustrated over a rise in the number of homeless people in their community and Oceanside’s police department is reaching out.
A team is working to get homeless people help. The team works to build trust among their homeless clients in hopes the trust will lead to them accepting help.
Their client Joel relapsed after nine months. He wants help but can’t get a prescription after losing his ID. They help the most vulnerable, those with serious mental illness and other substance abuse issues with barriers to getting care.
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The HOT team gets help from Interfaith Social Worker Curtis Torres, who goes out with officers every day. Thanks to recent city funding, a second social worker was hired to the team.
A separate team works to tackle homeless encampments in the riverbed. They give out citations and enforce cleaning out encampments.
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