HOPE Conducts Operation Shelter Me in San Bernardino County Mountain Area Providing Resources to Unhoused Individuals
May 13, 2025 – San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department officials report that the Community Service & Reentry Division's Homeless Outreach Proactive Enforcement (H.O.P.E.) Team in collaboration with the Department of Aging and 
Adult Services conducted "Operation Shelter Me" in the areas of Big Bear, Lake Arrowhead, Lake Gregory, and surrounding communities. This operation aimed to connect staff with unhoused residents, offering them housing, medical, and mental health treatment services. During this operation, the H.O.P.E. team focused on individuals with significant mental illnesses to link them with restorative mental health pathways.
Operation Highlights:
- The H.O.P.E. Team located 16 individuals experiencing homelessness.
- Seven individuals received referral information to assistance programs.
- One adult male was arrested for drug possession
In June 2023, San Bernardino County opted into Laura's Law, also known as Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT). Laura's Law provides opportunities for court-ordered community treatment pathways for individuals with histories of hospitalization, incarceration, or violence. No individuals were identified as candidates for assisted outpatient treatment during this operation. No subjects were identified as experiencing significant mental health crisis and substance abuse issues as defined under Senate Bill 43.
The H.O.P.E. Team and other aligned resources will continue similar operations throughout the County over the next year, thanks to special "Community Concerns" funding, approved by the County Board of Supervisors, allows the Sheriff's Department to address topics of concern, such as homelessness and mental illness, for county residents.
If you know of individuals experiencing homelessness who need services, please contact the H.O.P.E. Team at (909) 387-0623 or hope@sbcsd.org.
DATE/TIME: May 9, 2025 / 6:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
INCIDENT: Outreach Operation
LOCATION: The areas of Big Bear, Lake Arrowhead, Lake Gregory, and Surrounding Communities
Refer: The H.O.P.E. Team
Station: Community Service & Reentry Division
Phone No. (909) 387-0623
Source & photo: San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department
