JSO bolsters funding for program aimed at helping homeless avoid jail, as enforcement of public sleeping and camping ban begins

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — JSO started enforcing Jacksonville’s state-mandated ban on public sleeping and camping on Nov. 1.

We’re getting our first look at not only how many arrests have been made, but how the sheriff’s office is leveraging alternative interventions.

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Before any arrests were made, Sheriff T.K. Waters began beefing up funding for a program designed to give homeless individuals an alternative to jail.

Waters recently diverted an additional $117,000 to the Homeward Bound program: a nearly 700% increase compared to its past funding level.

“If you’re a JSO officer, you don’t really want to arrest someone in need that’s just camping on the street. You want to get them somewhere,” said Jake Gordon, CEO of Downtown Vison, Inc.

Gordon explained the Homeward Bound program is a partnership between the nonprofit and the sheriff’s office.

The goal: Identify a place where a homeless person in Jacksonville has a better support system and pay for their trip back home.

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“Obviously it can be anywhere where there’s someone to help them more. And again, they’re people in need on the street, and then they need more of a support system than their getting here,” said Gordon.

A video provided by JSO documented efforts by police to tell homeless individuals about the Homeward Bound program the day before enforcement began.

“Today, I can get you a free bus ticket on Greyhound to any place in the continental United States,” one officer said to a homeless person in the footage.

Since the start of enforcement, JSO has made 16 arrests for public sleeping and camping violations.

In that same time period, Homeward Bound has helped 10 people avoid jail and return home.

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Gordon argued the extra funding from JSO has been a big help, but ultimately, he thinks city council needs to consider increasing funding for social programs and housing affordability.

At $2.5 million for homelessness, city council fell far short of delivering the $13.6 million Mayor Donna Deegan had proposed this year.

“No one really understands why this need is growing. The economics are a big part of it, but there definitely might be more that needs to be invested,” said Gordon.

Since Oct. 1 of last year, Homeward Bound has helped 300 homeless individuals get back home.

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