City of Lincoln changing approach to 911 calls involving homeless people

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — The City of Lincoln unveiled a new approach on Thursday for responding to 911 calls involving homeless people.

Under the Alternate Response Program, police and emergency medical technicians won’t be sent to deal with every situation.

Dispatchers have now been trained to ask questions that determine the appropriate level of response to calls involving unsheltered people.

If no one is violating any laws or in need of medical attention, only the CenterPointe Street Outreach Team will respond.

The team will connect those it encounters with resources for the homeless.

SEE ALSO: Lincoln Police will now work with mental health professionals on some calls

Previously, two police officers responded to each call about an unsheltered person.

Acting Police Chief Michon Morrow said the new program is a more efficient use of resources.

“By redirecting these calls for service to the community partners who can best address the human services needs of unsheltered individuals, our LPD officers have more time to focus on calls requiring law enforcement,” she said.

Melissa Ripley, the Lincoln Police Department’s homeless coordinator, said it’s also more compassionate to Lincoln’s homeless population.

“Often, those experiencing homelessness also experience a stigma and shame associated with being unsheltered,” she said. “Having uniformed police officers contact you repeatedly, when you’re not doing anything illegal, can contribute to that shame and stigma.”

The city’s website says homelessness rates in Lincoln have fallen by more than 50% since 2012.

It credits the efforts of local organizations and the Lincoln Police Department.

There were 429 homeless people living in the city at the start of 2023, according to the Lincoln Homeless Coalition.

Twenty-four percent were considered unsheltered, 19% were adult survivors of domestic abuse, and nearly a fourth of them were children.