The Galveston Police Department has started a new unit called HOPE, short for Homeless Outreach Partnership and Enforcement. The department says the team's goal is to build relationships with the island's unhoused population, connect people to services, help them find housing options and point them toward job opportunities.
KPRC 2 went along with Officer Ronald Tumey and his partner, Vanessa Cadena, as they approached a homeless encampment. A man resting in a tent said he was trying to survive the heat and was recovering from a leg injury. He said he hoped to find work soon. Tumey said the brief visit, about 10 minutes, reflected the unit's approach of building rapport over time.
Cadena has been with the department since 2012. She said the number of homeless people on the island has grown noticeably over the years. KPRC 2 also spoke with people at Streetscape Ministries, a nonprofit that provides food, supplies and support to people experiencing homelessness. One man there said he was tired of living that way and wanted to work.