{"id":1372,"date":"2025-03-10T22:11:48","date_gmt":"2025-03-11T04:11:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smartforce.com\/blog\/?p=1372"},"modified":"2025-03-10T22:13:27","modified_gmt":"2025-03-11T04:13:27","slug":"turning-challenges-into-clarity-how-citizencontact-tackles-homelessness-drug-and-mental-health-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smartforce.com\/blog\/stop-and-contact-data\/turning-challenges-into-clarity-how-citizencontact-tackles-homelessness-drug-and-mental-health-issues\/","title":{"rendered":"Turning Challenges into Clarity: How CitizenContact Tackles Homelessness, Drug, and Mental Health Issues"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Why Stop-and-Contact Data Matters Now More Than Ever<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 2024,\u00a0771,480 Americans were unhoused\u2014a staggering 18.1% jump from the year before. Fentanyl fueled 70%-80% of opioid-related deaths<\/strong>, and states like Virginia and Colorado mandate detailed reporting on police contacts that can be used to address these crises. Collecting and reporting stop-and-contact data is essential for transparency, helping agencies understand interactions, ensure fairness, and meet legal requirements. We\u2019re with you\u2014how can your team rise to this? We added Tags to CitizenContact\u00ae last month, and early data shows \u201cUnhoused\u201d is already a significant tag\u2014higher in the last 7 days than the 7 days before. This blog shows how to take tag usage to the next level while streamlining data collection and reporting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unveiling the Crisis: Homelessness, Drugs, and Mental Health in 2024<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The numbers tell a tough story. Homelessness hit a record high in 2024, with\u00a0771,480\u00a0individuals counted\u2014a single-year increase of\u00a018.1%\u00a0from 2023<\/strong> (1). Of these,\u00a036%\u00a0lived unsheltered, up\u00a014%\u00a0since 2020, driven by a housing shortage that\u2019s left\u00a012.6 million\u00a0households spending over half their income on rent<\/strong> (1) Families and seniors bear the brunt. Drug trends worsen the picture: synthetic opioids like fentanyl accounted for\u00a070%-80%\u00a0of opioid-involved deaths from 2021-2024<\/strong> (2). Methamphetamine use is prevalent among some unhoused individuals, often employed as a survival tactic, though the majority of homeless people do not regularly use drugs (3).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mental health deepens the challenge. Research shows\u00a025-30%<\/strong>\u00a0of unhoused individuals have serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder<\/strong>, a trend over the last decade (4). These conditions often intertwine with substance use, making contacts complex.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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States like Virginia and Colorado have implemented laws to collect and report stop-and-contact data, focusing on transparency in police interactions. Virginia\u2019s Community Policing Act requires data on all motor vehicle, pedestrian, and investigatory stops, while Colorado\u2019s SB20-217 mandates reporting on law enforcement-initiated interactions\u2014both covering a significant amount of police contacts. These laws emphasize demographics, stop reasons, and outcomes, making stop-and-contact data collection and reporting critical. CitizenContact not only meets these legislative requirements but goes further\u2014adding data points like mental health, drug, and alcohol impairment, alongside features like Tags, Areas, and Groups. This enriched data lets agencies gain deeper insights into issues like homelessness and mental health, especially when paired with the right context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How CitizenContact Transforms Stop-and-Contact Data into Action<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With\u00a0Tags, officers categorize interactions instantly\u2014think \u201cUnhoused<\/strong>\u201d or \u201cFentanyl<\/strong>\u201d\u2014while CitizenContact tracks mental health, alcohol, drug, and crisis details, feeding reporting and analytic dashboards<\/strong> with real-time insights on interventions and trends.The\u00a0Areas<\/strong>\u00a0feature uses geofencing to let agencies configure\u00a0hotspots, patrol boundaries, encampment zones, and more,<\/strong> pinpointing clusters like downtown mental health calls to guide deployments. The\u00a0Groups<\/strong>\u00a0feature organizes teams\u2014CIT, patrol, or specialty units<\/strong>\u2014tracking performance and service connections in real time. More than tech, it\u2019s a tool to master data, meet and exceed legislative mandates, and deliver actionable insights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strategic Steps to Maximize Data Effectiveness<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are three steps to leverage CitizenContact\u2014perfect for new adopters or users optimizing their setup:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Build Comprehensive Insights into At-Risk Communities<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    <\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Configure the\u00a0“Unhoused<\/strong>”\u00a0tag to track interactions with unhoused individuals, ensuring stop-and-contact data includes key details. Enhance this with Tags like\u00a0“Service Referral Provided<\/strong>”\u00a0to log connections to social services,\u00a0“Shelter Transport Provided<\/strong>”\u00a0to track relocations to safe housing, and\u00a0“Repeat Contact<\/strong>”\u00a0to identify individuals with frequent interactions, signaling potential unmet needs. Pair these with the\u00a0Areas<\/strong>\u00a0feature to deploy mental health or outreach teams where they\u2019re needed most, addressing root causes effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Address Critical Behaviors with Targeted Precision<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      <\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Set up a\u00a0“Fentanyl<\/strong>”\u00a0tag to flag suspected use or distribution, leveraging drug impairment data in the contact report. Add complementary Tags like\u00a0“Trespassing<\/strong>”\u00a0to monitor related activities in high-risk areas, often linked to drug use, and\u00a0“Public Complaint<\/strong>”\u00a0to capture community concerns about drug-related incidents. Combine these with the\u00a0Areas<\/strong>\u00a0feature to map drug zones or complaint hotspots, then send\u00a0CIT, patrol, or proactive policing units<\/strong>\u00a0to intervene, reducing risks and enhancing safety in the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Optimize Operations with Data-Driven Strategies<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Use CitizenContact\u2019s\u00a0reporting and analytic dashboards<\/strong>\u00a0to review tag trends, pulling insights from your stop-and-contact data. Seeing a surge in\u00a0Unhoused<\/strong>\u00a0contacts tagged with\u00a0Repeat Contact<\/strong>\u00a0or\u00a0Mental Health Impairment<\/strong>? Shift patrols or partner with mental health services to break cycles of crisis. Have you noticed\u00a0Fentany<\/strong>l and\u00a0Trespassing<\/strong>\u00a0Tags clustering in specific areas? Adjust resource allocation to address underlying issues. This mirrors the\u00a0SARA model<\/strong>\u00a0(Scan, Analyze, Respond, Assess), tailored to your data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      These steps turn raw data into real results\u2014whether you\u2019re starting fresh or refining your approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Unlock Smarter Policing with CitizenContact Today<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Stop-and-contact data requirements under state mandates in places like Virginia and Colorado won\u2019t wait, nor will the pressing issues of\u00a0homelessness, drug challenges, and mental health. With CitizenContact, your agency doesn\u2019t have to play catch-up on meeting these mandates for collecting and reporting stop-and-contact data. New to the tool? Contact us today to see how\u00a0Tags,\u00a0Areas, and\u00a0Groups\u2014plus our added\u00a0impairment tracking\u2014can transform your operations, ensuring compliance while unlocking deeper insights. Already onboard? Optimize your tags and contact reports now to enhance policing strategies, building on the early success of the\u00a0Unhoused\u00a0tag. From challenges to clarity, CitizenContact is your partner in building safer, compliant communities\u2014let\u2019s make it happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      Contact Us<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

      Cited Works<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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      1. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. (2024). 2024 AHAR: Part 1 – PIT estimates of homelessness in the U.S. HUD User.\u00a0https:\/\/www.huduser.gov\/portal\/sites\/default\/files\/pdf\/2024-AHAR-Part-1.pdf<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, December 5). Detection of illegally manufactured fentanyls and carfentanil in drug overdose deaths \u2014 United States, 2021\u20132024. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 73(48).\u00a0https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/mmwr\/volumes\/73\/wr\/mm7348a2.htm<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      3. Assaf, R. D., Morris, M. D., Straus, E. R., Martinez, P., Philbin, M. M., & Kushel, M. (2025). Illicit substance use and treatment access among adults experiencing homelessness. JAMA. Advance online publication.\u00a0https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1001\/jama.2024.27922<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      4. Padgett, D. K. (2020). Homelessness, housing instability and mental health: Making the connections. BJPsych Bulletin, 44(5), 197\u2013201.\u00a0https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1192\/bjb.2020.49<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"twitter\"<\/a>\"pinterest\"<\/a>\"linkedin\"<\/a>\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"twitter\"<\/a>\"pinterest\"<\/a>\"linkedin\"<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Why Stop-and-Contact Data Matters Now More Than Ever In 2024,\u00a0771,480 Americans were unhoused\u2014a staggering 18.1% jump from the year before. Fentanyl fueled 70%-80% of opioid-related deaths, and states like Virginia and Colorado mandate detailed reporting on police contacts that can be used to address these crises. Collecting and reporting stop-and-contact data is essential for transparency, … Continue reading Turning Challenges into Clarity: How CitizenContact Tackles Homelessness, Drug, and Mental Health Issues<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":1367,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,42],"tags":[120,123,118,124,121,119,35],"class_list":["post-1372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-citizencontact","category-stop-and-contact-data","tag-citizencontact","tag-community-policing-tools","tag-drug-overdose-prevention","tag-fentanyl-crisis-2024","tag-homelessness-solutions","tag-mental-health-crisis","tag-stop-and-contact-data"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smartforce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smartforce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smartforce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smartforce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smartforce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1372"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/smartforce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1372\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1377,"href":"https:\/\/smartforce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1372\/revisions\/1377"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smartforce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1367"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smartforce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smartforce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1372"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smartforce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}