Page 52 - November 2021

009 officers initiate ongoing effort to help homeless residents
Nestled in a pile of his belongings crumpled up in white plastic bags, a man turned toward the camera to smile. His blanket pulled up around him in his makeshift bed. The air was cold as the sting of a fall morning hit him and the other homeless men and women in the 9th District. The sight of 009 officers would usually evoke fear or anxiety, but they had come to simply talk and give out resources. They were welcomed with open arms.
Officers like Cheryl Clark, who has been on the job for 26 years, were ea- ger to bring blankets and bags of hand sanitizer and other necessities to those living on the streets. On Oct. 26, they visited 18th Street and Canal Street to do just that.
“Some of them have been homeless for a very long time due to different mishaps or things that have happened to them,” explained Clark. “They're hu- man beings, too.”
With the winter months approach- ing, there is a rise in the struggles the homeless are facing, from COVID to hate crimes, gun violence and being unable to get a job. Clark and four other officers sought to see how they can best combat these problems.
“One of the guys was a four-year veteran of the Marines, and it was re- ally tough,” Clark explained. “He was a young guy and he had been homeless for a while, and he was talking about how could he go about getting his identification. He wanted work and he wanted some help.”
Without hesitation, Clark walked him through information about the VA. She agreed to visit again to continue talking about how to make lifestyle changes.
“It's just amazing to meet someone serve the country that's homeless and in this situation,” she said.
When Clark passed by 18th Street, splashes of blue and red on the large canvases around her caught her atten- tion. A professional photographer and local artist had painted five different portraits of the homeless, hanging them around the street.
“They were so proud,” commented Clark, who had met one of the men dis- played in a portrait. “He was so proud of it, just to see himself in a different light
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and to be hanging, proud of where he lived. And that really got to me, because they're human beings too.”
After this time with these home- less residents, Clark and other officers readily promised they would be back with more blankets and tents as soon as possible. They posted a flip chart on an easel right on the sidewalk to list the
prominent struggles and obstacles that need to be addressed. The officers’ aim is to continue reaching out to the com- munity to provide safety and necessary resources.
“It's important to us to go back,” Clark reflected. “I'm sure they've been disappointed and lied to in life.”
For Clark and the other 009 officers, it is imperative to keep the conversation going and raise awareness.
“We want the best for them,” she continued. “We're not just there to lock them up or to move them along.”