By Vanguard Staff
DAVIS, Calif. — The City of Davis announced Monday the launch of a new Community Response Team, expanding and restructuring its existing homeless outreach program to address concerns about homelessness, public safety and cleanliness in the downtown area.
City Manager Daryel Dunston announced the initiative Nov. 9, describing it as part of a broader effort to respond to concerns raised by downtown residents, visitors and business owners.
“Our downtown patrons and businesses have voiced concerns about various unmet needs — with an emphasis on homeless outreach, public safety and cleanliness — and we hear you,” said Deputy City Manager Deanne Machado. “The Community Response Team provides the downtown corridor a consistent, recognizable presence and a direct line to the City. It’s a practical step, and it’s the first of several that the City will be working toward.”
Beginning Nov. 9, the Community Response Team will maintain a regular downtown presence on Monday mornings and throughout the day Tuesdays and Thursdays.
During those shifts, team members will serve as a point of contact for downtown businesses, community members and unhoused individuals, helping connect people with city services and coordinating responses to neighborhood concerns.
The team previously focused primarily on homeless outreach, connecting unhoused residents with services and housing resources.
Under the expanded program, those responsibilities will continue alongside additional work addressing downtown conditions.
The team will help businesses navigate city services, coordinate responses to encampments and loitering concerns, identify areas requiring cleanup and assist with preparations for special events.
City officials said the expanded responsibilities are intended to provide a more consistent presence downtown while allowing police officers to focus on other public safety responsibilities.
On weekdays when the team is not assigned to downtown shifts, members will continue operating the city’s non-congregate winter shelter and responding to homelessness-related calls for service throughout Davis.
The city said this arrangement is intended to maintain citywide homeless outreach services while directing additional resources toward downtown.
“While we’ve had a strong partnership with our Homeless Outreach Team over the past few years, we’re excited to be working more closely with the team as they focus on downtown Davis and initial, service-led response for camping-related concerns,” said Davis Police Lt. Antonia Dias. “This increases the time our officers are available to proactively patrol and respond to crimes in progress.”
The new program comes as the city seeks to address concerns about conditions downtown through a combination of outreach, public safety services and improvements to public spaces.
According to the city, the Community Response Team is one component of a larger initiative that will include partnerships with community organizations, expanded downtown programming, capital improvements and an increased public safety presence.
City officials said additional announcements about those efforts are expected in the coming months.
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