A Bangor-based homelessness fundraising organization is propagating educational materials aimed at helping homeless individuals avoid arrest for a variety of crimes, including drug possession, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct.
The Greater Bangor Houseless Collective describes itself as “a grassroots organization that provides mutual aid and low-barrier support to the unhoused community while building solidarity in the face of institutionalized inequity,” and collects donations to distributed water, food, first aid kits, tents and other supplies to the Bangor area’s homeless population.
[RELATED: Bangor’s Lawless Tent City Results in Shooting Near UMA Campus: No Arrests…]
On their website and social media pages, the organization features several informational panels geared toward educating homeless individuals on the Bangor Police Department’s “Homelessness Crisis Protocol.”
The Bangor Police Department’s Homelessness Crisis Protocol, which first came into effect in 2022 and was most recently updated in April of this year, establishes certain procedures for police when they interact with a homeless person who is suspected of committing the crimes of disorderly conduct, indecent conduct (e.g. public urination), possession of a scheduled drug, or public drinking.
The protocol dictates that Bangor Police officers who respond to a report of any of the listed offenses must ask the suspect if they are homeless, and then make a judgment as to whether to make an arrest or refer the homeless individual to social services.
“Diversion from the criminal justice system is the desired course of action when encountering a person experiencing homelessness who is engaged in any of the listed offenses,” the protocol states.
Under the protocol, officers are directed to “determine the best course of action” when dealing with a homeless suspect and are required to consider a referral to social services even if the individual has been previously denied.
That decision may be based on a variety of factors, including the availability of services, the likelihood of continued disruption of public order, the suspect’s history of police interactions or community complaints, and whether or not the individual accepts the services.
“Law enforcement action, such as an arrest or the issuance of a citation, may not be the preferred approach is some circumstances but may be determined to be an appropriate action based on presented facts and circumstances to protect and maintain public order,” the protocol states.
After LD 1478 became law in June 2021 without the signature of Gov. Janet Mills (D), every law enforcement agency in the State of Maine was required to adopt a “Homelessness Crisis Protocol” by March 1, 2022, in the model of a statewide policy issued by Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey.
Attorney General Frey’s protocol mandated that all homelessness protocols adopted by the law enforcement agencies state that “diversion from the criminal justice system is desired and preferred” over arrests and citations for homeless individuals suspected of any of the offenses previously listed.
Read the full Homelessness Crisis Protocol issued by the Office of Maine Attorney General below:
In their informational fliers, the Greater Bangor Houseless Collective states that “Cops should not arrest you or give a citation for any of the above-listed crimes” — those being drug possession, criminal trespass, urinating in public, etc.
The organization advises homeless individuals that police officers should ask them if they are homeless, and that police will provide them with a referral to homeless services or transport them to a mental health facility instead of conducting an arrest or issuing a citation.
Also listed by the organization in their materials is a collection of “other helpful laws to know,” including Bangor’s prohibitions on loitering, setting up tents and bathing in public parks. The organization also advises homeless individuals that there are no Maine laws against sleeping in your car or panhandling.
[RELATED: Maine ACLU Defends Right to Panhandle on Bangor’s Busiest Roads…]
Appended to the Greater Bangor Houseless Collective’s flyers is a disclaimer, stating that the organization “does not endorse or otherwise encourage any illegal activities,” and that they “cannot ensure that you will not face legal consequences for any crimes.”
“This graphic is intended to be used as informational content, real-life experiences may differ,” the organization states.
At a Bangor City Council Government Operations Committee meeting last week, Tara Hembree, the homelessness response coordinator for MaineHousing, reported that from January through August 2024, a total of 450 individuals stayed at Bangor’s three homeless shelters.
Of those 450 shelter clients, 165 were reported to have entered the shelters from places “not meant for habitation,” such as outside or in a vehicle.
Hembree described the situation at the shelters as a “revolving door,” pointing to the fact that during the same period 347 homeless individuals left the shelters.
“It’s a little bit of a revolving door and people may not be staying for long periods of time, but it could be the same person that’s being served over and over again,” Hembree said.
Bangor city officials have struggled with closing a large homeless tent encampment on Corporate Drive near the University of Maine at Augusta’s Bangor campus for more than two years.
During a visit to the encampment by the Maine Wire last October, roughly 50-150 homeless individuals were at the site living in tents, campers, and other makeshift spaces.
Hembree told Bangor city officials last week that MaineHousing is still conducting outreach efforts to find shelter for about 90 people living in the Corporate Drive encampment.
Penobscot County is currently experiencing a surge in cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) diagnoses among people who inject drugs and homeless individuals.
Maine CDC has reported that there have been a total of 13 new diagnosed cases of HIV within Penobscot County from October 2023 through the end of August 2024, with 100 percent of those cases involving the individual injecting drugs within one year of their diagnosis, and 11 out of the 13 cases being among the county’s homeless population.
Your and My tax dollars at work .
If we could get a Republican House and a Republican Governor maybe the funding of these “ non profit “ socialist groups would cease . They would just dry up and go away .
Anarchists at heart disguised as do gooders . We pay them to do it .
But only if there was some progress to be shown.
I want my tax dollars to fill pot holes and teach a kid how to read.
Hope you all feel good about pissing you money down a Democratic rat hole. Our ellected are incapable of correcting things.
Essential life skills on not being a burden on society
All this on top of the illegals being shipped there, many from Haiti, Bangor is about to become Portland North.
Republicans in this state need to grow a set and stop funding non profits like Bud said.
Non profits in this state are out of control.
Can’t visually discern the difference if police take away the homeless drug dealer with bad conduct. It doesn’t matter whether put in prison or brought to social program center from which the offender cannot leave. The point is that the offender is out of society.