𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐘’𝐒 𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐒 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐂𝐇 𝐓𝐎 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘: In light of COVID-19’s impact on the regional court system and not pursuing certain crimes and the City’s commitment to connect people experiencing homelessness with wraparound services, a People Outreach Providers (POP) citation clearing event was held on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. Covid 19 vaccines were offered at the POP event. The Santa Monica Police Department, Community Services Department, and City Attorney’s Office collaborated with local service providers Alcott Center, Chrysalis, CLARE|Matrix, SHARE! Collaborative Housing, The People Concern, and West Coast Care, offered services to people who have recently received citations. The goal was to connect people who have received citations for camping in public, sleeping in a doorway, and other quality of life crimes to service providers that can address their needs. The teams followed public health guidelines to offer a safe experience for all who participated. Once an individual with a citation met with the different service providers, the City Attorney’s Office agreed not to file their citations with the Court. This pre-filing diversion program allows those experiencing homelessness the opportunity to avoid the consequences of a criminal case and move out of homelessness. Over the last weeks, officers from the Santa Monica Police Department’s Homeless Liaison Project (“HLP”) team wrote qualifying citations. Several individuals successfully participated and will have their citations not filed in the criminal court system. In light of the success of the program, the City will be looking at expanding this model in the next few months as another tool to meet people where they are and make connections essential to wraparound supports and housing. The City of Santa Monica is committed to addressing homelessness in our community through collaboration across City departments and with our dedicated direct service providers. In addition to the street outreach teams, they look for every opportunity to engage with people experiencing homelessness in order to connect them with vital services that are a bridge to stability and housing. The Santa Monica Police Department recognizes that members of the homeless community are often in need of special protection and services. SMPD is committed to addressing homeless issues through the utilization of a nationally recognized homeless engagement model. The major components of the Homeless Liaison Program (HLP) model include; Relationship Building, Networking, Outreach, Education and Enforcement. Authored By Jenna Grigsby-Taggart, Deputy City Attorney