Sarnia’s IMPACT police team is keeping busy, but fewer people are taking up help this year. The team has made 124 referrals to community services, down from 214 last year, with only 57 accepted and 25 shelter placements taken. Street-level contacts remain steady, with over 1,600 encounters with people experiencing homelessness and 1,400 involving addiction. Police say homelessness hasn’t dropped but has spread across about 10 smaller, scattered encampments around the city, compared to one large site last year. The three-officer unit continues patrols even as successful outcomes dip.
Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet
