This Week in Homelessness with Daniel McDonald

Last month, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis put his signature on HB 1365, a controversial new law that prohibits municipalities from allowing homeless individuals to camp or sleep on public property.

Enforcement of the law is unclear, and lawyer Aaron Swift argued that anyone who sues the municipality for not enforcing the bill and wins gets their attorney fees paid by the municipality.

“Private attorneys now are going to basically be stepping in the shoes of the government and suing to enforce the government regulation,” Swift, Vice Chair of the Homeless Leadership Alliance of Pinellas, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.

Daniel McDonald, a former TPD officer who has worked on homeless issues for 23 years, joined “The Skinny” on WMNF to discuss his take on the legislation.

Margi Dawson, Director of Development at the Turning Points nonprofit which provides services to individuals and families at-risk of homelessness also joined the program.

https://www.wmnf.org/former-police-homeless-liaison-officer-discusses-floridas-controversial-encampment-law/

Source: WMNF-FM 88.5

This is a recording of my presentation to the 2024 National Sheriffs' Association Winter Conference in Washington, D.C.

I cover issues such as:

• How did homelessness, addictions and mental illness become a law enforcement issue?
• How to navigate the politics of these issues (and not lose the next election)
• Redefining the sheriff’s role in the 21st Century: You can no longer “stay in your lane

Legal issues including the upcoming SCOTUS case Johnson v. Grants Pass Oregon.

There are different schools of thought about homeless outreach: You agency may do contact-driven outreach. You have a glancing impact upon lots of people. Activity is more important than performance or end-results.

I prefer impactful outreach. I work with less clients, but spend more time, often years, to resolve their needs. Patience and persistence are my key tools.

In this episode, I discuss some of my success stories and why you should choose impactful outreach.

Links I mentioned:

Impactful Outreach by Orgcode, Inc.

My contact information:

Phone: (800) 643-1997
E-Mail: [email protected]
Web: homelesspolice.com

Should the police be involved in social issues such as homelessness, mental illness and addictions. In a perfect world, no. But we are not in a perfect world. In this episode, I discuss my role in police homeless outreach and why it works.

How to Contact Me With Any Questions or Comments:

[email protected]
https://homelesspolice.com

Defunding the police is an idea that has gained momentum. In this episode I discuss why this is a bad idea and what society would be like without the police.

Links I mentioned:

There's a growing call to defund the police. Here's what it means

The Social Contract

National Policing Recommendations

Visit my website at: https://www.homelesspolice.com or @HomelessPolice

In this episode:

Amy Varle checks in from Manchester, England to discuss social housing, homeless pet policies, COVID-19 and her own journey from homelessness to Number 10 Downing Street.

• Amy Varle from Manchester, England is one of the most brilliant entrepreneurs and homelessness experts in the UK
• She is a leading voice and advocate for Housing First
• In 2016, Amy was awarded a travelling fellowship from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust
• She published “Social Property Investment : Pioneering strategies for 21st century homelessness prevention and response”
• On 25 January 2018, she presented her report to Prime Minister Theresa May
• Amy herself was made homeless at the age of 16 as a result of family issues
  • She lived, for ten months, in a hostel for young people, before being found a council flat
  • Her experience led Varle to work in a housing and homelessness role in local government
• You can contact Amy at https://www.amyvarle.co.uk
• Amy's Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Varle
• Visit my website at: https://www.homelesspolice.com or @HomelessPolice

NewsRadio WFLA's Felix Vega interviews Tampa Police Department Homeless Outreach Officer Dan McDonald on how they are partnering with Catholic Charities to open 100-person tent camp to provide temporary shelter, while working to find homeless residents permanent housing and services while also coping with their day-to-day fears about the Coronavirus in another vulnerable population.

Listen to the original interview on IHeartRadio:

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1248-on-the-docket-51612296/episode/tampa-police-on-the-streets-to-61270650/

In This Weeks Segment:

Even in challenging times there is hope. The Voices of Our City Choir have raised homeless San Diegans’ voices through their performances and advocacy.

What started as a grassroots effort has blossomed into a choir with about 160 regular participants who have performed at a slew of events and even collaborated with the San Diego Symphony”.

John Brady checks in from San Diego to discuss music, advocacy, life during COVID-19 as well as how has become a leading voice for the homeless in San Diego.

Links I mentioned:

• https://voiceofsandiego.org
• https://twitter.com/SDHomelessVoice
• https://www.voicesofourcity.org/

Where to Find this Podcast:

• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyUtGAVBCsi2CvXIpYnIl4A
• https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/826570.rss
• https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-homelessness-with-daniel-mcdonald/id1499584465

How to Contact Me With Any Questions or Comments:

[email protected]
https://homelesspolice.com

Homeless service providers are scaling back operations in many communities to prevent illness amongst their staff and volunteers. Social service agencies have closed their offices or transitioned to serving their clients via telephone or by appointment only. Drop-in centers have closed. Soup kitchens have stopped serving in dining rooms, often providing to-go meals. Libraries and other public facilities formerly available to the homeless have also closed. The lack of availability of these facilities and services often leave the police to be the de-facto response to homelessness.

Links I mentioned:

PoliceOne.com: Why police must continue homeless outreach during the COVID-19 pandemic

Response, Action and Wellness During a Pandemic

COVID-19 Statement & Recommendations

This episode documents my 27 calls attempting to order a new Direct Express debit card for a client.

Sometimes business can learn a lesson from government, along with my thoughts how the homeless also deserve exceptional customer service.

Please contact me with any questions, comments or concerns: [email protected] or visit my website at https://homelesspolice.com