EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The El Paso Police Department on the westside said they want to help unhoused people with a humanitarian initiative.
The initiative is called HEART, which stands for Humanitarian Enforcement Action Response Teams, according to Steven Lopez, a commander at EPPD’s Westside Regional Command Center.
In an interview, Lopez said the goal is to provide “services and resources to a forgotten demographic,” quickly to people who find themselves without a home or shelter.
Lopez described the plan to send teams to areas where unhoused people might gather and inform them of the available services.
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Lopez highlighted an example of how, several years ago, it took 18 hours to get services to an unhoused veteran, but with HEART, the plan is to streamline that process and respond in 20 minutes.
Lopez explained the program brings together city departments, nonprofits and volunteers, such as El Paso Helps, Project Amistad, the El Paso Fire Department and the Opportunity Center.
Lopez stated the EPPD came up with the initiative after realizing that unsheltered people, who sometimes include veterans or people who lost their homes, can be neglected even though they need help.
Lopez thanked nonprofits, volunteers and city leadership for approving the plan, and said organizers hope to launch the initiative citywide “in the very near future.”
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