By Joanna Putman
Police1
EL CAJON, Calif. — The El Cajon Police Department has created a short-form documentary exploring the lives of the city’s homeless population, FOX 5 reported.
The film documented the issues that arise when police are tasked with dealing with homelessness and why they can’t do more to solve the root issues, according to the report.
The documentary shows the struggles of drug sales and addiction among the homeless. It shows that department rehabilitation resources, when offered, are often not accepted. Shelter beds often go unused, according to the report.
Additionally, officers are unable to arrest people for many drug-related offenses.
“Proposition 47 passed in 2014, and it reduced many of the felony crimes involving theft and drug use and drug possession, those types of things. It reduced those to misdemeanors, making them non-bookable offenses in the county of San Diego,” Chief of Police Mike Moulton told FOX 5. “So if somebody’s using methamphetamine right behind you right now, that’s not something we can take somebody to jail for. We have to write them a ticket and then hope they appear in court.”
Moulton stated he disagrees with the widely accepted public opinion that the housing crisis is the root cause of homelessness. He asserts that drugs and the legal tolerance of drugs is at the heart of the issue.
“What I want people to know is what impact in the community these laws are having. In my professional opinion, in my 29 years in law enforcement in this community, it’s having a negative impact on public safety. That’s the message I want to get out there,” Moulton told FOX 5.
