Fort Bragg Police Department Neil J. Cervenka*

(F1) At the time of this report, the Grand Jury has not received outcome results from the Care Response Unit that would verify the success of the program. The Fort Bragg Police Department has provided data and statistics related to the success of the Care Response Unit in public reports to the Fort Bragg City Council, Mendocino County Board of Supervisors, League of Cities, and the Mental Health Treatment Act Citizen's Oversight Committee (Measure B). A portion of the data and statistics related to CRU were additionally published in the Police Department's 2023 and 2024 Annual Report. Those annual reports and prior written reports to the other governing and oversight bodies are attached for reference. The Police Department will generate a more comprehensive written report as part of Grand Jury's recommended report to the Fort Bragg City Council (R1). That report will be published and publicly presented prior to December 31, 2025. Concern, Compassion, Courage Since 1889

(F2) The Care Response Unit is an exemplary, well-established program that addresses the critical needs of the visible homeless population in the City of Fort Bragg. I fully agree with this finding and reiterate my sincere appreciation to the Grand Jury for this report. The Fort Bragg Police Department and Care Response Unit (CRU) look forward to continuing to demonstrate that the "Fort Bragg Model" is a cost effective approach to successfully addressing homelessness, substance use disorder, and mental health issues that can be replicated in communities nation-wide. Additional Response: Grand Jury Report Paragraph 1 A criticism of the CRU program shows that individuals who decline services frequently leave the city limits. If an individual does not have an adequate home to which they can return, CRU personnel may transport the individual to outside city limits to join a nearby homeless encampment. I appreciate the opportunity to provide clarification regarding the above language in the Grand Jury report. I have managed the Care Response Unit (CRU) since its inception in 2022. At no point has our CRU Team ever transported an individual out of our jurisdiction to join a homeless encampment, nor would we encourage an individual to do SO. Kind Regards, The /h Thomas N. O'Neal Police Captain Attachments: 2023 Fort Bragg Police Department Annual Report 2024 Fort Bragg Police Department Annual Report Fort Bragg City Council Staff Report-2/27/2023 League of Cities Report-05/2023 Mendocino County Board of Supervisors Staff Report-9/12/2023 Measure B Oversight Report-11/20/2024 Concern, Compassion, Courage Since 1889