Abstract
This exploratory study examined the effectiveness of law enforcement engagement tactics and strategies employed in working with people experiencing homelessness. This study utilized secondary data in the form of ethnographic field notes with permission from the Institute for Social Research at California State University, Sacramento. The data was collected in June and July 2017 by interns who conducted six weeks of ride-alongs with officers from a new law enforcement outreach program working specifically with people experiencing homelessness in a mid-sized California county. Study findings based on qualitative analysis suggest that law enforcement officers experienced some successes with implementing innovative tactics of problem-oriented and community-oriented policing. However, it was found that the team often resorted to traditional strategies of enforcement as a default. Additionally, officers prioritized mitigating the visibility of homelessness within the areas to which they were assigned, serving to shift the community impact of homelessness to other areas. Lastly, this study contributes to the growing scholarship and collaborative efforts between researchers and law enforcement departments seeking to more effectively address complex social problems such as homelessness.