New from: The City of Indio

As part of Indio’s ongoing efforts to provide outreach and awareness, the City and the Indio Police Department (IPD) have teamed together to further educate residents, businesses and visitors about how to best address the needs of the unsheltered in our community.

Over the next two weeks, Indio’s Police Department will push out a series of social media posts to highlight the contributions of our Quality of Life (QOL) officers and the established organizations and nonprofits where donations of food, clothing and furniture can most effectively be distributed to the unsheltered community.

Quality of Life (QOL) officers are part of IPD’s Community Outreach Unit, and work directly with the city’s homeless population.  These officers regularly connect with homeless individuals to offer assistance and resources to those who are willing, so that they can acquire stable housing, healthcare, and employment opportunities.

“People are compassionate and want to help, but they don’t always know how,” said Indio Police Chief Mike Washburn.  “Working with trusted local partners and nonprofits is the best way to achieve results, rather than through direct donations, which we observe are frequently left behind as people move from place to place.”

“We’re all working together to accomplish one mission,” said Indio Mayor Waymond Fermon.  “That mission is to get folks the assistance they need—whether it’s housing, mental, behavioral or substance abuse counseling.”

To learn more about the IPD QOL team, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYVSMaFwG2c

Follow the Indio PD on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to follow this educational effort on social media.