Drug-Related Crime Prevention: Seizure Money to Help Addicted Homeless

Merced County Sheriff Mark Pazin says it costs less to help the homeless than to book them on misdemeanor drug violations.

From the Turlock Journal - A faith-based group dedicated to helping homeless drug addicts is receiving some help from the Merced County Sheriff's Department in the form of $30,000 in cash. The $30,000 donation is from asset seizure money the sheriff's department has collected. The money will be given to the United Way Foundation and earmarked to benefit the Merced County Rescue Mission.

The Merced County Rescue Mission plans to use the money to run a one-month long pilot program that will provide food, clothing, shelter, and counseling to homeless drug addicts.

The hope is that the work the mission does with the homeless addicts will result in a decrease in drug-related offenses. Merced County Sheriff Mark Pazin said it costs less to help the homeless than to book them into jail for misdemeanor drug violations."The idea is to keep the mission providing a service so desperately needed as funds are being cut and as the number of homeless are on the rise," MacKenzie said.

Read the complete story here in the Turlock Journal .