Homeless Outreach

Officer Copeland

Copeland

The Pinellas Park Police Homeless Outreach Team consists of a sworn Police Officer and a civilian Social Worker from Directions for Living, who has a degree in Mental Health and Substance Abuse. Officer Copeland and his partner, Rick, team up to provide services to our homeless population. 

This program is a partnership with funding provided by the City of Pinellas Park, Directions for Living, Pinellas County, the Homeless Leadership Board, and some HUD Funding. Each year hundreds of Homeless are helped by being taken off the streets and provided shelter, housing, food, family reunification, and other services.

Tent in Woods
Homeless on the Tracks

The program, which is modeled after similar programs in the Miami and Ft. Lauderdale area, also assists the Homeless in obtaining mental health services and referrals to programs and services throughout the County which can help them gain employment, housing, alcohol/drug treatment, food, and other needs relating to Homeless.

Our Team assists homeless Veterans, Families, and Individuals and works with them to connect them to the required services. As a result, many Homeless are now in long-term housing, have their residences, and are stable and self-sustaining due to this program and partnership. Additionally, our Homeless Outreach Team provides a resource for local businesses, churches, and residents to work with or deal with homeless issues in their areas by having an Officer who specializes in Homeless related matters and can balance Enforcement with compassion

The Homeless Outreach Team is an integral part of our Community Policing Unit and works closely with the Community Policing Officers to assist in addressing the local community's needs.