Modesto’s police board hears how officers have leaned away from citing homeless people

Modesto police reported a few thousand occasions over 18 months when homeless people were directed to services they need.

That and other alternative approaches were discussed at the Aug. 17 meeting of the new Community Police Review Board. The nine volunteer members advise a law firm hired in May to monitor the department.

Police Chief Brandon Gillespie gave a briefing that included the Community Health and Assistance Team, or CHAT. It launched in late 2021, sending social workers rather than officers on certain calls.

CHAT can respond on those that do not pose a threat of violence. Most involve the homeless, but housed people have benefited, too.

“I want CHAT to primarily focus on diverting those calls so officers can stay available for calls that need officers,” Gillespie said. The department retains the ability to cite people for repeated violations such as camping in parks.

The chief said he hopes to soon double CHAT from six to 12 team members.

Details on how CHAT has helped

The department tallied these services from January 2022 through June 2023:

• Basic needs, such as food and clothing, on 2,993 occasions

• 1,661 referrals to shelters
  
  

• 1,229 referrals to case managers for mental health and other needs
  
  

• Assistance with transportation, 474
  
  

• Vital documents such as Social Security, 453
  
  

• Help for pets, 288
  
  

• Longer-term housing, 173
  
  

• Health services, 161, nearly a third of them involving COVID-19
  
  

• Help with public benefits and other income, 94
  
  

• Education, 66
  
  

• Employment, 19
  
  

• Assistive technology for people with disabilities, seven

• LGBTQ+ services, two.

Park rangers and mental health clinician, too

The department also has five park rangers in a program that began last year. These unarmed employees can cite people for camping and other violations, but they cannot make arrests.

And Modesto has a mental health clinician on call though a new partnership with Stanislaus County Behavioral Health & Recovery Services.

The police oversight system emerged from concern about officer-involved shootings and other issues. It has carried on the work of the Forward Together committee, which supported the CHAT approach and related efforts.

The board meets at 5 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month on the second floor at Tenth Street Place, 1010 St. The Aug. 17 session was the first to offer a Zoom link for the public.