NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — The New Smyrna Beach Police Department is hosting a townhall on homelessness.
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Police Chief Eric Feldman said the community meeting is an opportunity for residents and local leaders to swap ideas related to the issues the city is experiencing.
The police department already has a licensed, in-house clinician who deals directly with the city’s homeless population.
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The department also recently entered into an agreement with the First Step Shelter in Daytona Beach, which allows officers to connect people with resources, rather than arresting them.
Feldman said at last check, about 100 people were experiencing homelessness in the city.
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However, not everyone in the community knows how to connect with programs for help and that includes people who aren’t homeless. That’s why Feldman is working hard to make sure residents are up to speed.
“We are proud of our programs. We think we are very forward leaning in trying to both provide services and also apply enforcement so it’s a chance for us to explain what we are doing but let’s be honest, we don’t have all the answers so it’s a good chance for us to collect input from our residents,” said Feldman.
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Feldman also understands some people prefer to live on the street and that’s where enforcement comes into play. The city already has an ordinance that makes it illegal to camp on public property and police have the ability to trespass anyone on private land as long as the property owner makes a report.
The first townhall is at 5 p.m. Thursday at New Smyrna Beach City Hall.
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