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Police and outreach teams report targeted cleanups, outreach and housing efforts; encampment grant to be used for further work
Summary
Chief Malagon reported recent dumpster drop-offs, outreach by the Homeless Liaison Unit and backpack-medicine teams, and several criminal incidents involving transient individuals. City staff said a recently awarded $1.49 million encampment-resolution grant will support cleanup, outreach and enforcement work once subagreements are finalized.
Police Chief Malagon briefed the council on recent homeless-related activity and outreach efforts, including two dumpster drop-offs in April that staff said noticeably reduced trash at an encampment near Gassaway and A Street.
The Homeless Liaison Unit (HLU) and backpack-medicine teams provided services to unhoused individuals on scheduled outreach dates; Malagon reported 12 people served during one March outreach and smaller counts in April. HLU has conducted night fire-prevention operations using drones with thermal imaging to locate risky fires and made referrals to housing providers when possible.
Chief Malagon noted recent criminal incidents tied to transient individuals, including a burglary and a shoplifting arrest; in at least some cases, persons involved were not residents of Fillmore. Malagon said outreach sometimes leads to short housing placements, but some individuals return to the river-bottom encampments.
City staff and the city manager said they are finalizing subagreements under a $1.49 million encampment-resolution grant. Staff told council that once subagreements (for example, with Spirit of Santa Paula or other providers) are executed and brought back to council for approval, implementation will begin and progress reports will follow.
Councilmembers discussed the differing needs of the unhoused population — from persons seeking immediate housing to those with substance-use or mental-health conditions — and asked for future briefings that might disaggregate outcomes and illustrate successful pathways to stable housing.
