ECPD asks the community to stop giving monetary handouts to the homeless

The El Centro Police Department ( ECPD ), is asking the public for help.

Instead of handing out money to the homeless people who are panhandling, ECPD is advising the community to donate money to local agencies and nonprofits.

It’s a request, some people in the community are questioning.

ECPD says giving out monetary handouts perpetuates many of the problems the homeless community is facing.

“It basically sustains their lifestyle, where they have no desire to better their situation to get off the street,” said Sergeant Thompson, ECPD .

Thompson is the head of ECPD’s Homeless Outreach Program.

” There’re some days when it seems like fifty, sixty, even seventy percent of the calls are related in some way to transients, vagrant homeless people. Weather it is trespassing, refusal to leave or any of those issues, ” said Thompson.

ECPD has partnered with local agencies and nonprofits to help combat the homeless issue the city is dealing with.

“Just by giving them money that doesn’t really help their situation, however theses non-profits help with the homeless related issues, there the ones who have the training, they know what resources are out there,” said Thompson.

” I think the police department is headed in the right direction, I just think that it shouldn’t have just been homeless, it should have been panhandling period. Don’t give money out to anybody.

I don’t think the homeless should be singled out like that, ” said Jessica Solorio , Spread the Love Charity Founder.

Solorio and her volunteers at Spread the Love Charity have over 700 clients.

” There’re ways to help them, we know what their needs are. Some homeless don’t know what their own needs are at that moment, ” said Solorio .

The non-profit has volunteers that provide meals for the homeless people daily.

They also provide a safe haven for them at their office during the day.

About 40 to 70 clients come to their office every day, it’s a number Solorio says continues to increase.

Homeless people who come to them know that they can count on a place to rest, cool off, and eat a snack.

” There is a huge homeless problem it’s not just El Centro. I know that the El Centro Department is working really hard to combat issues with homeless population, so I really do commend them for what they are doing, ” said Solorio .

“We know that they are daughters and sons, mothers and fathers. We treat the homeless just like any other citizen in the community. We’re the ones combating this problem on a daily basis. We feel it would be best to leave it to the professionals to fix their problems, ” said Thompson.

If you would like to support Spread The Love Charity visit their website.