North Miami police officers gathered outside their station headquarters on 124th Street at 5:30 Tuesday morning.
They were briefed, split up in teams and hit the streets. Their mission: to locate as many homeless people as they could and offer them assistance.
"We want them to know that there is an alternative for them other than living beneath bridges and behind businesses, that they do have an opportunity to have a warm bed, clothes, and food," said Lt. Neal Cuevas.
Representatives from the city's Homeless Assistance Program joined the officers. Their first stop: the homeless camp located underneath the 163rd Street bridge.
That's where the found Clifton "Talon" Wilson. He was sleeping when the group arrived but he was happy to accept the help.
"They wanted to take me to a shelter to get a shower and a bed," he said. "A shower sounds pretty good about now. It's been six months since I've had one."
There were homeless people who refused the help, but Lt. Cuevas said the initiative is still beneficial because they get an idea of who the homeless people are and where they sleep.
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"It's important to the North Miami Police Department and to the community because these are the same individuals that when they are not sleeping at their camps they are out either panhandling, shoplifting, and doing all sorts of things that are not good for us," he said.
