The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department announced on March 20 that its Community Service & Reentry Division’s Homeless Outreach Proactive Enforcement Team (HOPE), together with deputies from the Victor Valley Sheriff’s Station, carried out “Operation Shelter Me” in Adelanto and unincorporated areas of the Victor Valley. The operation was held from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., focusing on connecting unhoused residents with housing, medical, and mental health services while addressing community safety.
This outreach comes after California voters passed Proposition 36, known as “The Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction Act,” which took effect in December last year. The law reformed previous statutes related to homelessness, drug offenses, and theft by introducing new legal provisions that allow for enhanced sentencing and prevent certain offenders from being cited and released before court appearances.
During the operation, HOPE team members contacted 53 individuals experiencing homelessness. Ten accepted referral information for assistance programs. Law enforcement also made several arrests: six people were taken into custody for misdemeanor warrants within the county; two for possession of a controlled substance; three for possession of drug paraphernalia; one for possession of fentanyl; one under a treatment-mandated felony charge due to prior convictions; and one individual was arrested for violating probation terms.
Sheriff Shannon D. Dicus said the department will continue similar operations throughout the county over the next year using special “Community Concerns” funding approved by the Board of Supervisors. All those arrested during this operation are offered additional resources by the Sheriff’s Transitional Assistance Reentry Team (START) while in jail.
Shannon D. Dicus serves as sheriff-coroner at San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department according to the official website according to the official website. The department operates a dispatch center handling numerous service calls across its 15 patrol stations according to its official website, serving more than 2.1 million residents according to its official website. Its focus is on providing collaborative law enforcement services tailored to community needs through professional means according to its official website.
The department also maintains a historical society museum preserving its heritage according to its official website.
