Jacksonville Fire & Rescue and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office told the Finance Committee on Jan. 7 that a new outreach and sheltering effort has routed people off the streets but also strained available beds and raised jurisdictional questions for the beaches.

Chief Keith Powers said outreach began in October and that the program has had “a lot of success” in the downtown core. “Since Oct. 1, we have now gotten 93 folks in the Homeward Bound,” Powers said, referring to the program that returns out‑of‑town people to their home communities.

Captain Parramore (Jacksonville Fire and Rescue) told the committee the outreach PATH team had about 900 contacts (some duplicates) and that 60 people accepted services at Trinity Rescue Mission. She said the operation started Dec. 16 with 28 beds and the city added 16 beds around Jan. 3; the additional beds had been fully filled by the previous Friday.

District 1 Commander Jimmy Riggs (JSO) reported enforcement and engagement numbers: “since Oct. 0, [we have] 529 warnings, 86 arrest, and then 27 notices to appear,” he said. Riggs added that many people contacted are now accepting services and that outreach has expanded beyond downtown.

Council members praised first responders’ work but raised concerns about geographic scope and capacity. Council Member Rory Diamond said he was told earlier that the program would include the beaches, and he and others said the beaches communities currently cannot use Homeward Bound funding or JFRD outreach in their jurisdictions without an interlocal agreement. “We’re not allowed to use homeward bound money even though we pay taxes and pay into that fund,” Diamond said, and he asked the administration to pursue an interlocal agreement so the three beaches municipalities can access services.

Chief Powers said the statutory language made municipalities responsible for areas within their boundaries and that the administration had not been asked to coordinate an interlocal agreement to date; Mary Stifopoulos, Office of General Counsel, offered to follow up and check the status of any negotiations.

Council Member Jacoby Pittman and others urged that the program be given more time to operate and that the council not “raise hell” before the pilot runs; Pittman said the work takes time and cautioned against short‑term criticism. Council Member Will Lane and others asked that remaining contracted beds with Salvation Army and City Rescue Mission be brought online sooner rather than later; the council had previously appropriated funds and Powers said the administration could bring on additional beds as needed.

Committee leaders asked for a follow‑up report specifically on the beaches issue at the next finance committee meeting and pledged continued monitoring of bed capacity and program outcomes.

No formal vote was taken on the homeless program during the session.