Chief Davis briefed the City Council on the Council Bluffs Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Program (HOP), which the department launched as a permanent program in mid‑2024 to coordinate outreach, organize social‑service options and refine an enforcement strategy for encampments and street homelessness. “We launched HOP with three goals: contact homeless persons to determine needs, collect and organize nonprofit and social‑service programs, and design a coordinated response model,” Chief Davis said.

Davis described a balanced approach that separates enforcement of criminal behavior from outreach to people who need social services. “We’re not criminalizing homelessness, but there are members within the community…that can commit crimes,” he said, adding that enforcement work focuses on individuals who pose a threat to public safety while the support side aims to help people obtain IDs, housing, Medicaid, medical appointments and substance‑use or mental‑health referral services.

Davis noted the department brought on a community health coach, Chastity Kephart, who was hired with assistance from the Jenny Edmondson Foundation and has an active caseload; the chief said Kephart took 30 referrals in June and had a current caseload of 53 at the time of the briefing. “Chastity…is out there beating the weeds, getting to know people, and she initiates referrals herself just by interacting with people,” Davis said. He said outcomes included reduced repeat calls at some sites and that the HOP team obtained housing for three people in a recent month.

The chief acknowledged enforcement limitations for low‑level offenses that often result in short jail stays and emphasized coordination with the county and city attorneys to track repeat offenders and seek prosecution strategies that lead to longer, treatment‑oriented detention when appropriate. “We arrest these folks. They go to court…they get right back on the streets,” a council member asked; Davis agreed this is an ongoing challenge and said the department is discussing prosecutorial approaches and treatment options with partners.

Davis announced a planned two‑week enforcement and outreach initiative in September — the department called it a “path forward project” — with a first week beginning Sept. 12 and a second week Sept. 22–26. The planned activities include intensive case management, camp cleanup and targeted enforcement, plus coordinated referrals to social‑service partners, with council members invited to observe the missions.

Council discussion touched on shelter conditions and recent council funding for shelter operations. Several council members asked for detailed updates on how grant or pass‑through funds approved by the council were used; city staff said the funding mechanism is reimbursement‑based and staff are receiving invoices and documentation from the shelter operator for monitoring and to avoid duplicate federal benefits. The chief and council members urged continued collaboration among police, nonprofit partners (including Heartland Family Services, New Visions and Joshua House) and the courts to close gaps where people exiting custody can lose continuity of care.

Why it matters: The briefing put operations, data and a schedule for near‑term field work on record and signaled the council will continue oversight of funding and partnerships as the city attempts to reduce dangerous behavior, improve linkages to services and manage encampments. The council did not vote on new policy at the meeting but accepted the operational update and the scheduled outreach weeks.