Winter Park Police to start new program aimed at helping homeless
The program relies on a federal grant that was temporarily frozen by the Trump administration this week, but Winter Park said it had planned to move forward anyway
Jan. 29, 2025
By Beth Kassab
Winter Park will launch a new program on Monday supported by a federal grant aimed at helping its police department connect homeless people with resources to find housing and other services.
The three-year $250,000 grant through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services office is slated to fund a portion of two new sworn officer positions at the Winter Park Police Department dedicated to one-on-one interactions with people who are living on the street.
The status of the money was in jeopardy this week as the Trump administration issued a freeze on all federal grants, though Winter Park officials said they planned to move forward anway.
“We have every intention of moving forward with the HART [Homeless Advocacy Response Team] program on Monday, even with the grant freeze,” Winter Park Police Chief Tim Volkerson said Wednesday morning.
By Wednesday afternoon, the administration rescinded the federal memo that froze trillions of dollars, but not before there was widespread confusion and upheaval.
City Manager Randy Knight said he met with U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost’s office to get a better understanding of the impacts of the freeze, but there remained a number of unanswered questions. The grant for the police department is the primary piece of federal funding in the city’s current operating budget, he said.
The Winter Park program illustrates how the federal freeze trickled down to local jobs and neighborhood programs aimed at helping people in crisis.
It also showcased how local governments like the city of Winter Park, which are tasked with everything from sweeping streets and approving new development to providing lights and water to thousands of homes, are also caught in the crossfire of an increasingly combative and unpredictable political environment on the state and federal levels.
\Winter Park Police not only felt the effect of President Donald Trump’s attempt to root out federal expenditures that he says don’t align with his political ideology, but also must contend with a new state law that bans camping on public property.
The Florida law — which is modeled on policy from the conservative Texas-based Ciero Institute and has also taken hold in Oklahoma, Texas, Kentucky and elsewhere — allows cities like Winter Park to be sued beginning this month if the city doesn’t enforce the ban on sleeping in public areas. It’s one of a number of state laws in recent years that has mandated new action or pre-empted existing policy by local governments, who often carry the biggest burden when it comes to carrying out policy forged in Tallahassee.
Volkerson said his goal is not to arrest people who are homeless, but to connect them with meals, a change of clothes, a shower, medical care and, when possible, permanent housing.
“While the law has changed, our function hasn’t changed,” he said. “Our parks are closed at night and that’s still the case. We want people to know we have these services available and we are more than happy to take you … we ask what they need.”
The HART program, which his officers piloted for a few months last year, is intentional about establishing a rapport with people who are in need. The same two officers are assigned to the duty each day and they drive pickup trucks rather than patrol vehicles.
The pick-up trucks are marked, but have regular back seats compared to patrol vehicles, which are outfitted to transport people who are under arrest.
That makes it more likely, Volkerson said, for people in need to accept rides to drop-in centers, shelters or other places where they can find resources. Usually, he said, that doesn’t happen the first time officers talk with someone. It often takes multiple interactions to build up trust so that a person is willing to consider some of the nonprofits that provide assistance.
“Our goal isn’t to take them and dump them. Our goal is to get them the help that they need,” he said. “Ultimately, we want to connect them with something that is sustainable … there are some people who have no desire for permanent help. They are not interested in going to a shelter or connecting with family and friends.”
His officers have not arrested anyone for sleeping in a public space. Most arrests of people who are homeless, he said, are a result of an officer finding the person has an outstanding warrant on other charges.
“We do not see a lot of sleeping in our parks or on our sidewalks,” Volkerson said. “It’s not that common for us to encounter that.”
Most of the interactions take place on private commercial property such as at gas stations or shopping plazas.
He said his officers focus not just on building relationships with people who are homeless, but with agencies in Central Florida that provide support so that the officers can offer the best options to people who want help with qualifying for social security, Medicaid, a new ID or even just a shower and a hot meal.
The federal grant is expected to cover $250,000 over three years. The city of Winter Park is contributing about $280,000 to cover the cost of the trucks, equipment and the difference in wages and benefits that the grant would not cover.
Frost said the freeze of the grant money was akin to an attempted “theft” from local taxpayers.
“This is political posturing the president is doing on spending to free up money so he can pass it along in the form of tax cuts to billionaires and corporations,” he said. “There’s also just the gross incompetence of how it’s being done and the lack of clarity and confusion it’s causing.”
WinterParkVoiceEditor@gmail.com
Beth,
In your rush to write this partisan piece, did you know that the President rescinded the freeze?
Yes, the story was already updated with that information. The story was initially published before the memo was rescinded. Please refresh your screen.
Everything in Beth’s report is factual. There’s nothing partisan about it. If you don’t like facts, that’s your privilege. Oh, and sign your name.
Not factual in all respects. Liberal bias oozed in. The implication: Trump cares nothing about the homeless because he imposed the freeze. Baloney. Not only was the potential freeze withdrawn, the freeze was not intended to redress or implement Trump’s “personal” agenda. It was intended as a baby step, desired by millions of voters, toward the goal of achieving fiscal discipline at the federal level. How refreshing. Hope that tickles down. This story should have been about a proposed trial program to be implemented by the WP police department. The fact that the program hoped to siphon federal tax dollars was secondary. The city intends it to go forward with or without grant funding from the feds. Federal grant money does not fall from the sky. It’s not “free”.
You get so many things wrong here. This isn’t a “proposed trial program.” As the story reports, this program was already piloted last year and the chief decided to move forward with an application for a grant, which the department received. The program is starting on Monday under the three-year grant terms. No one said grant money is “free,” in fact the story spells out the city’s portion of the program quite explicitly or did you not read that part, either? Also, it is laughable that you say Trump’s action is not part of his personal agenda and is a “baby step” toward “fiscal discipline.” Have you watched the briefings this week? The White House has made very clear this is purely driven by a desired review of what it considers to be policy that doesn’t align with the president’s personal ideology. This is NOT an overall financial review based on any other merits. For example, this is not a review on the results of programs or financial ROI. This is based purely on anti-DEI policy. I’m just trying to help you understand because I suspect you are reading a lot of extremely partisan rhetoric and now you are unable to differentiate between that and a real news story, which is what the Voice provides. Keep reading here and I will keep helping you.
Really? WE couldn’t tell if this what a hit piece about rescinded federal policy or a local story about a homeless outreach program, never mind that the negative reporting itself is outdated and meaningless. Oddly and unnecessarily partisan.
Another example of someone labeling something they simply don’t like as “partisan.” This story couldn’t be further from partisan. This story shows how the stroke of a pen in the White House touches people in Winter Park, including two police officer jobs and a program to help people in crisis. That is a fact. My role as a journalist is to help people understand how local and much wider policy can impact their lives. I stand behind my reporting.
Yes own your comments.
The article says the funds were temporarily frozen. Pay attention.
Am not sure how to determine the number of folk who appear to be homeless in our community. My observation when I walk Park Avenue on weekday mornings; there are more than a few. Some are regulars, in the same general location each morning, some on park or street benches others walking with shopping cards or carrying their stuff in other ways. Have been surprised a few times seeing WPPD drive by and not stop and check. Going back 3-5 years, was common to have an officer check with them, most times in an effort to “assist them”. There has been one fellow I have see several times with a shopping cart and TV, extension chord and power strip with TV on.
Think it is important that folk from the City try to assist, its not a punitive thing it’s a caring thing. While my guess is some assistance attention is being paid to see what can be done to assist folk, wondering if there is or could be more be done by our City cto assist those open to be assisted.
There is a homeless man, his name is Michael, I believe, who sits in a lawn chair in a grassy area on St. Andrews Blvd. and Aloma Avenue; he sits across from the Optum Medical Building. I think he has mental issues as I have often seen him writing on a yellow pad of paper and talking to himself. My heart aches for him. During the recent very cold spell, I looked for him (to provide extra blankets) but did not find him. Just lately, I see him out there again. I never see the W. P Police stop to talk to him as I have passed by but, obviously, I am not checking daily. Do the police want “leads” on people who may need help?
Waste of money, as usual. I have personal experience with homeless issues. There is no policy “cure” for people who are not capable of taking care of themselves. Significant federal, state, and county resources are already applied to these issues to little effect. See: https://www.orangecountyfl.net/FamiliesHealthSocialSvcs/HomelessnessServicesandInitiatives.aspx
There are a spectrum of reasons why people are homeless and a spectrum of people who become homeless. Spending more money to assuage the conscience of a few people will not improve the lot of the homeless.
“Volkerson said his goal is not to arrest people who are homeless, but to connect them with meals, a change of clothes, a shower, medical care and, when possible, permanent housing.”
This is the right approach and I’m pleased to hear this is how our local police will be dealing with this issue. Being homeless is not a crime.
Thank you Chief Volkerson.
Here you go Pete, please be sure to scroll to bottom and read the plain language summary.
Effectiveness of interventions to reduce homelessness: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Heather Menzies Munthe‐Kaas ✉, Rigmor C Berg, Nora Blaasvær
Author information
Article notes
Copyright and License information
PMCID: PMC8427990 PMID: 37131370
This article has been corrected. See Campbell Syst Rev. 2023 Jul 28;19(3):e1333.
Abstract
This Campbell systematic review examines the effectiveness of interventions to reduce homelessness and increase residential stability for individuals who are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless. Forty‐three studies were included in the review, 37 of which are from the USA.
Included interventions perform better than the usual services at reducing homelessness or improving housing stability in all comparisons. These interventions are:
High intensity case management
Housing First
Critical time intervention
Abstinence‐contingent housing
Non‐abstinence‐contingent housing with high intensity case management
Housing vouchers
Residential treatment
These interventions seem to have similar beneficial effects, so it is unclear which of these is best with respect to reducing homelessness and increasing housing stability.
Plain Language Summary
Interventions to reduce homelessness and improve housing stability are effective
I never said there were not programs that address homelessness. Not for Winter Park to address.
A forward thinking program.
“When you worship power, compassion and mercy will look like Sins.
Tim Volkerson is what leadership looks like & he is my hero as are all our officers!!
Wow! Beth & Maxwell get it wrong again. Best of luck trying to demonize Tallahassee & Trump. Misinformation from Oviedo & Orlando
There is zero misinformation in this story. I allowed your comment to publish because I think it’s important for people to see how so many folks are willing to be dishonest with themselves and others to achieve an unclear political point. I do live in Oviedo. Ask the police or fire departments or the nurses at AdventHealth Winter Park how many among their ranks live within the city limits of Winter Park. Do you demonize them for not living in the city as well? Journalists have an important job to do, too, and I will not be intimidated by your consistently hateful and misleading comments.
I was proud to live in Winter Park when I read what Chief Volkerson is doing to try to help the Homeless. No, we cannot cure all homelessness but that does not mean we should not try. Compassion is very much needed these days.
$530,000 over 3 years is not a trifling amount. In the past, WPPD handed out referral cards (“field contacts” in police reports) for the county’s H.O.P.E. program, a start to finish service for people in crisis or homeless. The takers were very, very few, per the weekly reports I read for a few years. Will a couple of pickup trucks and repeated contacts make a difference? I hope so, but I’d like see a place on the WPPD site that tracks the number of people contacted per month and the number of people that enter the program. A 3 year Federal grant and $280,000 of WP taxpayer funding is admirable. Let’s see the results.
It is my sincere hope that everyone grandstanding today on this issue makes a donation to homeless outreach programs in the community, today. We don’t have to limit our compassion to delegated authority.