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Police outline decline in transient calls; city highlights multi‑agency outreach and enforcement balance
Summary
Port Hueneme police reported a 52% reduction in the city’s counted homeless population since December’s point‑in‑time count, described daily outreach and encampment removal work, and reiterated that enforcement is a last resort coordinated with the DA and county partners.
Port Hueneme police briefed the council on the city’s Homeless Liaison Officer (HLO) / Community Resources Officer (CRO) activities, presenting statistics, mapping hotspots, outreach efforts and enforcement practices.
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Police reported 11,508 calls for service through Sept. 23 and said transient‑related calls and encampment removals have decreased compared with prior periods; the department highlighted a 52% reduction in the city’s counted homeless population in the most recent county point‑in‑time tally.
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Officers described a combined approach of compassion‑focused outreach (Backpack Medicine, housing connections and referrals) and targeted enforcement coordinated with the district attorney’s office. Staff emphasized that most enforcement follows repeated advisements and attempts to offer shelter and services and that arrest is always a last resort.
Key statistics and work
- Calls and arrests: From Jan. 1 to Sept. 23, the department recorded 11,508 total calls for service. The presentation cited 355 combined encampment/transient calls and 17 arrests for those call types (self‑initiated plus public calls). The department also reported a reduction in transient calls from 260 the previous year to 218 in the same period this year.
- Point‑in‑time count: Staff said the county’s recent point‑in‑time count showed a 52% reduction in Port Hueneme’s unsheltered population compared with the prior count.
- Outreach and partnerships: Police described coordinated operations with Backpack Medicine, county public health, housing resources and property managers to clear high‑risk encampments (examples given at Mandalay Village Shopping Center, the beach promenade and the Waianae Bay Shopping Center). Police said they conducted canal sweeps and targeted cleanups before winter.
- Legal framework and DA coordination: Staff described how the Grants Pass decision and recent case law clarified what charges can be filed for illegal lodging and other encampment‑related offenses; the department emphasized it meets the DA’s documentation and advisement standards before filing charges.
Concerns and next steps
Council members praised the reduction and pressed for regular reporting. The department said it will continue daily outreach, monthly multi‑disciplinary outreach events with Backpack Medicine and coordination with the county task force. Staff and council also discussed a potential future county implementation of SB 43‑related tools to address gravely disabled individuals and to enable additional behavioral health interventions.
Public input
Members of the Hueneme HOA coalition and other residents thanked the police and partners for the work and noted improvements at Mandalay Village and elsewhere.
