Las Vegas, police expand homeless outreach program

Homelessness is a huge issue in the valley.

Advocates say this is a complicated problem that requires many different types of solutions.

But this time multiple organizations band together and they have more resources in their hands.

IMPACT OF THEIR HOMELESSOUTREACH PROGRAM IN LAS VEGAS.AND AS ANCHOR NINA PORCIUNCULATELLS US..THEY'RE UTILIZING MORERESOURCES TO COMBAT THE ISSUE.NINA LL: HOMELESSNESS IS A HUGEISSUE IN THE VALLEY...ADVOCATES SAY THIS IS ACOMPLICATED PROBLEM THATREQUIRES MANY DIFFERENT TYPESOF SOLUTIONS.BUT THIS TIME MULTIPLEORGANIZATIONS ARE ABLE TO BANDTOGETHER AND THEY HAVE MORERESOURCES IN THEIR HANDS.JOCELYN BLUITT-FISHER, OFFICEOF COMMUNITY SERVICESADMINISTRATOR CITY OF LASVEGAS: HOMELESSNESS DOESN'T ENDJUST BECAUSE WE GET OFF THECLOCK AT 3 PM.SO WE STARTED WITH ONE TEAM ASA PILOT, WE EXPANED TO THREEAND NOW WE'VE ADDED A FOURTHTEAM.JOCELYN BLUITT FISHER WITH THECITY OF LAS VEGAS IS TALKINGABOUT THE MULTI-AGENCY OUTREACHRESOURCE ENGAGEMENT OR THE MORETEAM...COMPOSED OF MULTIPLE LOCALORGANIZATIONS AND METRO ---WORKING TOGETHER TO HELP THEHOMELESS TRANSITION OFF THESTREETS.LAST WEEK THE CITY COUNCILAPPROVED ITS EXPANSION....RIGHTNOW, THE NON PROFIT SERVICEPROVIDERS ARE RECRUITINGPOSITIONS FOR THE FOURTHHOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM.JOCELYN BLUITT-FISHER, OFFICEOF COMMUNITY SERVICESADMINISTRATOR CITY OF LASVEGAS: WE HAD 3 TEAMS AND THEYWERE RUNNING MONDAY THROUGHFRIDAY AND THAT DIDN'T ALLOW USTO HAVE WEEKEND COVERAGE SOTHIS FOURTH TEAM IS GOINNG TOALLOW US TO HAVE THAT WEEKENDCOVERAGE THAT WE NEED.CRITICS SAY THESE TARGET THEHOMELESS FOR MAKING IT ILLEGALTO SIT OR CAMP OUT.....ON PUBLIC SIDEWALKS...DURING STREET CLEANINGHOURS....ANOTHER ORDINANCE MAKING ITILLEGAL.....TO CAMP OR SLEEP.....ON SIDEWALKS....IF THERE'S SPACE....AT A HOMELESS SHELTER.....IN THE CITY OF LAS VEGAS.'

BUTPOLICE HAVE MADE ZERO ARRESTSSINCE.LT.RAUL RODRIGUEZ, LVMPD: THEENFORCEMENT PART OF IT IS NOTOUR FOCUS, OUR FOCUS IS TOCONNECT FOLKS WITH RESOURCESAND HOPEFULLY TRY TO END THATCYCLE OF HOMELESSNESS.THE MORE TEAM SAYS --- IN AYEAR AND A HAFL...THEY'VE HELPD OVER 500INDIVIDUALS OUT OF HOMELESSNESSAND MADE CONTACT WITH AT LEAST13 THOUSAND FOLKS IN NEED INTHE VALLEY.WITH MORE RESOURCES AVAILABLETHIS TIME...THEY HOPE TO CONNECT MOREPEOPLE TO THE PROPER RESOURCES.NP13AN.NOW TO THE LATEST ON THE