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Resident urges tougher enforcement on homelessness; Gardena Police describe outreach teams, cite 50% reduction in count
Summary
A resident urged aggressive enforcement of homelessness-related crime; Gardena Police Chief described the department's GMED outreach team and a 50% reduction in the city's homeless count while urging residents to report criminal activity so officers can respond.
During oral communications a Gardena resident (identified as Jordan) urged the council and police to take stronger enforcement action against people he described as causing public safety problems, saying the U.S. Supreme Court decision he cited authorized local arrest and prosecution in encampment situations.
Mayor Serta invited the police chief to respond. The chief described the department’s Gardena‑Hawthorne Mental Evaluation Team (GMED) and the city’s homeless coordinator, both of which work with social‑service partners to address homelessness and related criminal activity. The chief said Gardena lowered its homeless count by roughly 50% in the past year and stressed the department’s preference for connecting people to services over arrest where appropriate: “We won’t ever arrest our way out of the homeless problem,” the chief said, noting criminal trespass and controlled‑substance offenses are handled as crimes when they occur.
The chief asked residents to call police when they observe criminal activity, explaining some enforcement tools require officer presence or a private‑party complaint. He said officers will respond when calls come in and that successful outcomes often require coordinated action between police and social‑service partners. The council did not take a formal enforcement motion; members thanked the chief for the department’s outreach efforts and reiterated the importance of reporting crimes to enable timely police response.
