By TRILBY BERESFORD | Reporter
On the morning of Tuesday, Oct. 16, the LAPD Divisional Orientation for new officers took place at the Will Rogers State Beach Lifeguard Headquarters.
With homelessness being a critical issue in Pacific Palisades, their tasks often include approaching encampments and offering services provided by the Pacific Palisades Task Force on Homelessness.
Many PPTFH representatives attended the orientation and introduced their active roles in community outreach, including key members Doug McCormick, Sharon Kilbride and Glanda Sherman. 
LAPD Officer John “Rusty” Redican addressed the group and clarified that police officers “need to be present” to deal with the wide scope of individuals who reside in the community. When he first started patrolling the beach and bluffs, there was a lot of land to cover and he had to learn how to speak with homeless individuals in an effective way—a skill made possible, in part, by the PPTFH.
Redican then identified the challenges he has faced when conversing with homeless populations. “There are some homeless folks who have no desire to get off the streets,” he said, adding that others require repeated visits. He gave the example of a woman he talked to “60 or 70 times” before she accepted help.
Sherman added that working with LAPD has been very effective. Since her journey with PPTFH began, she has witnessed numerous kind gestures that go a long way, such as police officers directing homeless individuals to the public showers and speaking to them in a respectful and productive way.
The reduction of people living on the streets, along with the positive strategies employed by law enforcement, are direct results of PPTFH and LAPD collaboration.
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