Page 45 - FOP August 2019 Magazine

First District officer becomes a champion for the homeless
n BY ERIKA WURST
“Please...Don’t give up his bed. I will find him.”
Those were the words and the promise that First District Of- ficer Jeanette O’Brien made as she pleaded with directors at the Franciscan Outreach homeless shelter in Chicago.
The man she was looking for? His name was Fred. With warm eyes and a big smile, Fred was the one person that O’Brien, the district’s homeless outreach officer, couldn’t forget.
He was a humble man, down on his luck and desperate for a place to stay. She eventually found Fred, who was given a bed at the shelter at 18th and Loomis along with a chance for recovery and a life off the streets.
“This guy really just needed help, and I believe he will truly take full advantage of this and get on his feet,” she said.
But Fred’s not the only one this officer has helped place during her 27 years with the Chicago Police Department. Where many see “throwaways,” O’Brien sees friends. Whether they’re sleeping in tents, panhandling on the streets or begging for a bite to eat, O’Brien looks beyond the exterior and does her best to better the lives of those who are often forgotten.
Those people include a former cheerleader, now with missing teeth and a pocked face; an alcoholic who lost his job; and a father and son whose home was destroyed in a fire. At the same time, they are still people. And O’Brien’s life work is to make sure that they’re taken care of and get the help and resources they need.
After 10 years spent working in this role for the district, O’Brien says that Fred’s story isn’t unfamiliar.
“I get caught up in it all, and they become friends,” she said, talking about the regulars she sees. “When you’re in a beat car every day, you encounter good people who you’ll likely never see again...I see the same people every day. They ask about my kids. How do you not care about somebody you’ve known for so many years?”
Some she’s known as long as 15 years, while others span her 27- year career. In fact, O’Brien can walk into the shelter at 18th and Loomis and be greeted by nearly everyone inside.
They tell her that they’ll never forget what she’s done for them, and that they’ll never be more grateful to have a roof over their heads and an opportunity to be staying at a good shelter, one that takes care of their needs.
While they have a bed, residents meet weekly with casework- ers, apply for new identification cards, search for work and focus on the transition to permanent housing.
But it’s not a place where they can just walk in and get help. This particular shelter only has 31 beds, which the growing homeless population is vying to occupy, and either O’Brien or someone from the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services must advocate for a spot.
Despite the number of success stories she’s seen, O’Brien has also had her share of heartbreak.
A trip to the corner store for coffee will often lead to a run-in with a former homeless friend who looks like a million bucks. This will put a smile on the officer’s face until weeks later, when that same friend has relapsed and is living on the streets once again.
“There’s only so much you can do. Some people just don’t want the services, but we do the best we can,” she said.
That’s why O’Brien doesn’t carry the typical equipment inside her squad car. She has blankets, water and clothes for those who need them.
“You just get so caught up in it that you want to help everyone,” she said. “It’s hard to explain.”
First District Officer Jeanette O’Brien (right)has become known for helping homeless people in the community.
The feeling she gets when she’s greeted by the appreciative fac- es of those she has helped is also something she struggles to put into words.
“Anybody in any position wants to feel like they’re making a difference,” she said. “Knowing I’m appreciated makes me want to go out there and do it all. I just want to help each and every one of them.”
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