Working together on the Lingering Issues resulting from the Homelessness Population Explosion in the County

 

District 1 constituents are frustrated with the exploding issue of the homeless
engaging in dysfunctional (often illegal) behavior in their neighborhoods.

I had the opportunity to meet with Sheriff Chip Simmons and his top leadership staff this week, in his office, on a topic that is on everyone's minds today.  What can we do about the homeless that are engaging in dysfunctional conduct in the county?  What can the county do, what can the Sheriff's office do, and what can the community do?

I was joined in this meeting by Tim Day, the head of code enforcement and Jesse Casey, the District 1 Field Representative.

We are receiving a lot of constituent complaints about the conduct of some of these homeless individuals who are engaging in theft and vandalism of property and other behavior including drug use and in some instances sex crimes.  Constituents want action and their frustration is palpable.

The meeting was productive and the Sheriff and his staff want to assist.  The attorneys for the ECSO have been working with the county attorney on updating our ordinance relating to panhandling in the roadways, code enforcement has been working in conjunction with ECSO on some particular areas in the  county where the problems associated with the homeless  have become acute and untenable.

Here is the thing though: nobody wants to vilify or stigmatize any citizen.  Some of these folks are legitimately down on their luck and need help.  The good news is we have resources and we all, collectively, want to help those that want help.  And we will continue to assist and support those in the community that are serving the homeless and assisting them with breaking free of being homeless.

But the others who are engaging in illegal activities, the ones who are trespassing and or dumping trash all over the place trashing some neighborhoods, walking in roadways banging on windows, aggressively bothering motorists and stealing from private property to finance their substance abuse addictions--these are the ones whose behaviors cannot be condoned.

So there are a specific set of strategies that we are going to be implementing going forward.  We will find ways to quickly identify owners of private properties where illegal trespassers are camping unlawfully in order to streamline the trespasser removal process.  I believe the issuance of civil citations will also be on the table for violators/trespassers--mandating these folks appear in court.  And I do believe we will work toward an enforcable county ordinance that will assist the ECSO's efforts to keep aggressive, rude and obnoxious panhandlers out of our roadways and intersections.  There will be other tools which will also be used that are still being explored.

Additionally, I am going to seek funding for dedicated law enforcement staff at the ECSO to directly engage the homeless in the county working closely with code enforcement.  The city has a couple of officers who are doing this currently utilizing CRA funding and I hear this is working well for them.  So I would like to do something similar in the county in the areas where the problem is becomming unbearable.

So much more to come on this---but meanwhile I just want folks to know it is being worked.

We're #1 (and Other Important Information not Reported from the Mental Health Task Force Meeting Last Week......)

 

It's Not Always Good to Be #1

Those who attended this past Thursday's Quarterly Mental Health Task force meeting at Hillcrest Church in Pensacola were told about the state of mental health and treatment in our area--and the news is ominous and the problem appears to be growing.  Nothing was reported in the press on this after the meeting though--which to me is ASTONISHING.  In addition to the area experiencing 3,120 Baker Acts already this year--we now also hold the dubious distinction of being the number one county in the state of Florida for drug overdoses.  #1.  From January to June 27th--Escambia County EMS has dealt with 1,024 Overdoses, or 5.6 per day in our area on average--#1 in the state.  More than anyone.  #1.

Sometimes it isn't good being number one.

This astonishing statistic was provided to the assembled group of task force members(state representative Michelle Salzman, Clinic directors, law enforcement, EMS, health care professionals, county leadership, and others working to tackle this problem) by Escambia County EMS Chief David Torsell--who himself also commented that he has never, in his more than 30 year career in public safety, seen "So much Death as he has in his last 13 months in Escambia County."

To help address this issue, he informed the group that he will be working in partnership with Community Health Northwest to help provide addicts with access to Suboxone-- a drug for easing withdrawal symptoms for addicts,  which itself is an opioid and  schedule III narcotic that is very expensive and has--according to some accounts--the potential to be abused.  Apparently, this is a high cost drug, but Community Health Northwest will be able to provide it for about $30 per prescription via the utilization of a $1.43 Million Dollar State of Florida program that 9 counties have been able to tap for funding.

When discussing the most important shortcomings of our area's response to this "epidemic" of addiction and the resultant overdoses--Torsell discussed the need for transportation of folks that are addicted to access important mental health support and medical appointments.  

Another big issue is follow-up care for these patients, the ones who survive their overdoses and sometimes do not receive follow-on help overcoming their addictions.  Torsell suggests that a private induction room is necessary to facilitate this follow up treatment, and he strongly suggests that such follow-up treatment and induction be given within 24 hours of the initial overdose--but not during the primary episode at which time the patient is in the hospital ER.

To assist with this transportation problem, Torsell reports that several members of the Escambia County Public Safety Department will be receiving training so these same individuals can assist with transportation of patients in conjunction with ECAT.  I'm sure there will be more to come on this initiative in the weeks ahead.

There was much more discussed at this meeting beyond us being #1 in overdoses; important issues like case management shortcomings and a diminishing number of choices of detox facilities for area patients were also spotlighted.  On a positive note--County Administrator Wes Moreno and Ronnie Rivera from ECSO also discussed/unveiled a new county initiative which will help integrate the provision of services for those who are homeless and afflicted with mental health issues as well as addiction.  This dashboard will provide snapshot data on where beds are available in the County and what the entry criteria is at each facility where each bed is available.  Apparently this will be coming online very soon.  (Meanwhile--we cannot seem to get a joint meeting shceduled with the City on the topic of Homelessness--although I have asked over and over about this like a broken record.  I'm going to figure that out once and for all this coming week.)

But back to the task force meeting--it was by all accounts a very sobering look at our community's struggle with mental health, homelessness, and addiction. Alarming, sobering, and stark 

And with our Nation's southern border totally porous and busted, Chinese Fentanyl pouring over it, and