HOUSTON — Every time the temperature drops, there’s a push to bring people who are living on the streets indoors.
It wasn’t always like that, though. Eight years ago, in 2010, Sergeant Steve Wick approached the Houston Police Department about a pilot program to strengthen the relationship between police and the homeless.
“The chronic homeless, it’s a combination of addiction and mental illness,” said Wick, who often patrols on bicycle. “I knew that there had to be a better way than just continually arresting people for Class C misdemeanors.”
From more resources and streamlined access to benefits and help, to Houston Police Department issued identification letters, “one of the things we found early on is lack of I.D. kept lots of people on the street,” Wick said.
So with the help from the Texas Department of Public Safety, the letters now include a person’s identification information along with a photo, Wick’s signature attesting the person is who they say they are.
Wick’s helped more than 1,000 people get identification letters, which has led to each person receiving financial help, like from the Social Security Administration.
But with every success is a story of struggle. Cush or Kush, a synthetic drug, continues to plague the homeless population. Wick believes a majority of the street population struggles with substance abuse.
“You might not make it this time, but you might make it next time. We just keep trying. As long as person wants to work with us, we’ll work with them,” Wick said.
The Homeless Outreach Team has grown from three Houston police officers in 2010 to a team of 11 people, which includes six police officers and four mental health case workers from the Harris Center.
Wick is retiring on Friday after 38 years in law enforcement. He doesn’t want to leave his work, but he knows it’s time to transition into the next chapter of his life.
“And that’s pretty wonderful,” said Wick as he reflects on his final week on the police force. “To do a job where you can ride a bike and you can go out and you can help people, that’s a wonderful job.”