Professional Documents
Culture Documents
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
DEFINITIONS
3020.1 GENERAL PROCEDURES
3020.2 ENCAMPMENTS
3020.3 ACTIVE ENCAMPMENTS
ASSOCIATED DIRECTIVES
Policy 501 - Crisis Intervention
Policy 503 - Incident Reporting
Policy 1502 - Property & Evidence
INTRODUCTION
This directive provides procedures for interaction with persons experiencing homelessness,
handling encampments, and providing information on outreach for assistance from social service
resources. The Asheville Police Department treats all persons, including those experiencing
homelessness, in a manner that respects their individual rights, human dignity, and community
values, while enforcing laws that protect life and property and sustain civic life.
DEFINITIONS
Homelessness: a person is considered to be experiencing homelessness if they lack a fixed,
regular, and adequate nighttime residence, meaning:
- Has a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not meant for human
habitation (such as a car, abandoned building, park, or sidewalk).
- Is exiting an institution where they resided for ninety (90) days or less and resided in an
emergency shelter or place not meant for human habitation immediately before entering
that institution.
Encampment: for this directive, a location where persons experiencing homelessness are
sleeping, making preparation to sleep (including the laying down of bedding for sleeping), and
associated activities, including the storing of personal belongings, making any fire, remaining at
or near any tent or other shelter, doing any digging or earth breaking or carrying on of cooking or
other activities in support of camping or living accommodations.
Active Encampment: an encampment that is occupied at the time of contact or has signs of recent
activity (i.e., burning fires, fresh food, recent mail).
Inactive Encampment: an encampment that is not occupied at the time of contact and has no
immediate appearance that anyone has been present in the immediate area.
Outreach: the initial and most critical step in connecting or reconnecting a person experiencing
homelessness to needed health, mental health, recovery, social, and housing services that involve
the process of engagement, assessing needs, defining service goals, or agreeing on a plan for
delivering those services.
D. Many persons experiencing homelessness may suffer from mental health and substance
abuse issues that are beyond their control. Officers should follow guidelines in Policy 501
- Crisis Intervention when interacting with persons in crisis.
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SOP 3020 - Homeless Persons
ASHEVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE
3020.2 ENCAMPMENTS
A. The primary officer responding to any call for service where an encampment is present
will:
4. Document the encampment via department cell phone camera and send or share
the photographs with the Community Unit. Photographs should include any
significant items in the vicinity, such as erected tents, temporary structures,
dangerous weapons, dangerous materials, etc.
C. In all cases, before the conclusion of their shift, the primary responding officer will email
any related CAD event numbers and/or Incident Report numbers with a brief summary of
events to the Community Engagement Division and the officer’s direct supervisor. This
notification should include if no authorized agent for the property (city or private) was
contacted or action was taken due to exigent circumstances on city-owned property, see
3020.3.
D. The Community Unit will conduct any follow-up necessary through City of Asheville
Homelessness Services to facilitate outreach workers’ referral to the campsite.
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SOP 3020 - Homeless Persons
ASHEVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE
3. If signage is not present on the scene, the officer will make a 24-hour notification
and then attempt to make contact with an authorized agent of the premises
designated by the city department responsible for the property. This information
will be maintained and updated by the department’s Community Unit in the CAD
Premise Notes.
4. After 24 hours or soon thereafter, officers will return to the site and enforce
accordingly based on N.C. Gen. Stat. Ch. 14 Art. 22B or take any other
appropriate action.
6. Officers may refer individuals to the Community Unit for follow-up with local
providers and resources if needed.
BY ORDER OF:
David Zack
Chief of Police
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SOP 3020 - Homeless Persons