(Shereen Siewert, Wisconsin Public Radio) The Wausau City Council recently approved funding for two officers dedicated to addressing homelessness, a move Wausau Police Chief Matt Barnes said is already yielding results.
According to Shereen Siewert with Wisocnsin Public Radio, in an interview with WPR’s Shereen Siewert on “Morning Edition,” Barnes said the officers work both to enforce city ordinances and to connect individuals with resources aimed at breaking the cycle of homelessness.
Critics, however, have accused the city of criminalizing homelessness, citing decisions like removing encampments and disallowing tents in parks. In part one of this series, Vicki Harness, executive director of the Marathon County Community Outreach Task Force, told WPR her organization can sometimes be at odds with police policy.
“We’re doing what we can to help our clients survive, and at many times, it seems like the police are doing everything they can to make them go away,” Harness said. But Barnes said encampments only devalue the quality of life for other Wausau residents.
He highlighted the city’s challenge of balancing compassion for those in need with maintaining public spaces for the broader community. As part of a larger solution, Barnes is optimistic about the ongoing work of a joint task force involving Marathon County and the City of Wausau.
The group, which includes nonprofits and local officials, is working to identify capacity issues and explore long-term solutions to achieve “functional zero” homelessness. “What are the gaps and needs in the community, and who will pay for them? Those are questions we don’t yet have the answers to,” Barnes said.
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