Summer has finally arrived and your BIS Officers have seen an increase in the number of calls for service and contacts with homeless people throughout the BIS Service Area. As we all know, a significant population of the homeless are seen regularly on or near Nevada Avenue. As the weather has warmed, some of them have wandered into the Broadmoor community and made contact with members and non-members alike.
Recent incidents involving the homeless
Recently one individual was contacted in the area adjacent to the Broadmoor Hotel just before midnight ringing doorbells and soliciting handouts. Another individual was contacted a few days later in the Pourtales Park area where he advised the BIS Officer he had started a campfire to keep warm. Another incident occurred in the eastern part of our service area where a suspected homeless person rummaged through an unlocked vehicle and stole some loose change from the car. That said, some of the homeless we encounter are simply lost and wandering but in need of directions out of the area. In each case, a BIS Officer responded to manage the situation.
When homeless ask you for food, clothes, or money
I know it is a bit of a moral dilemma to see some of these homeless individuals and not give them food, money, or clothes when they ask for hand-outs. Many of them suffer from alcohol and drug addictions or mental challenges. When you do feel compelled to give aid we ask that you do not directly give them food, clothes, money when they solicit such from you.
Instead, we suggest you consider donating items or funds to one of the homeless assistance organizations. The homeless often operate as a community within themselves, sharing their stories of successful panhandling with other homeless individuals. They, in-turn, venture into the area with the same goal of asking for handouts or they may be seeking targets of opportunity to “rummage” through unlocked vehicles or trash cans.
BIS and CSPD's roles to assist you
When BIS members encounter disruptive or potentially dangerous homeless persons in our community, we encourage you to call your on-duty BIS Officer on our emergency phone. We will respond as quickly as possible to determine whether they may or may not be a threat. Anyone, of course, has the right to freedom of movement within the community (on the sidewalks and city streets) but a homeless person who enters onto your property uninvited is trespassing and will be encouraged by BIS Officers to leave the property or be removed by the the police. Even if they do not trespass, we at BIS encourage you to call us and inform us of homeless people you observe in our community. We will contact them and monitor their behavior and travel as needed. In many cases they may be in need of services to which your BIS Officers can direct them. Officer safety is paramount, so the BIS Officer may not always transport a homeless person but will contact CSPD and standby until they respond if the homeless person is a danger to themselves or our BIS community members.
We are also fortunate to have a strong relationship with the Colorado Springs Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Team (HOT). One of our BIS Board members, Sergeant Olav Chaney, who served as Chief of BIS in 2022, is the commander of that CSPD team.
If you are not yet a BIS member and would like to join our community of safety and awareness, I strongly suggest you sign up today. Joining BIS gives you 24/7 access to a trained BIS Officer, access to the private BIS Officer cell phone number, and benefits like patrols and mail pickup. Joining BIS makes our neighborhood stronger and safer.
I thank you for being a part of the BIS family. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or want more information.
In service to safety,
Colonel Mark Trostel, BIS Chief
ChiefTrostel@bis80906.com
719-634-4000
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