Keizer officials contacted just 19 shelterless people during its portion of the annual point-in-time count.
Officers from the Keizer Police Department (KPD) Community Response Unit (CRU) and Code Officer Ben Crosby hit the streets alongside hundreds of other volunteers to conduct the count on Jan. 27.
“Of the seven people contacted this year, our officers know at least four of them by name and frequently have conversations with them. It is noteworthy to mention it is not by luck that Keizer does not have our own ‘tent city.’ CRU and Crosby routinely check for homeless camps. When a camp is located, services are offered, and then they are encouraged to move along” said a Keizer police official in a weekly update sent out by the city on Jan. 29. “We have found most homeless people wish to be left alone, so frequent contacts seem to get voluntary compliance in moving out of Keizer.”
More than 90% of those contacted turn down assistive services according to KPD.
