Hello from your friendly State Street Neighborhood Officer! I'd like to share a little bit about the partnership between homeless advocates and the Madison Police Department. Since I have started this position, the connections that I've made with First United Methodist Church and Bethel Lutheran Church has been instrumental in successfully assisting the homeless on and around State Street. Both have proven to be critical in problem solving issues that officers come across, especially people who are struggling with poverty and living on the streets. There are so many agencies that work in tandem with MPD, it would be almost impossible to give them all the credit they deserve.
First United Methodist Church offers a Community Outreach Breakfast on Wednesdays. There is also an outreach component to this breakfast, where individuals are able to connect with needed services. These services include AODA resources, FoodShare, Madison-area Urban ministry and many more. Bethel Lutheran offers similar support and meals. I have attended the homeless support group meeting, and was welcomed with open arms. This allowed me to connect with the homeless on a more personal level, rather than just law enforcement rel`ated issues. I can't adequately express my appreciation for partnership MPD shares with these agencies. There are many, many more groups that offer homeless-related support, and we at MPD appreciate all that they do for this community.
