TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The city of Tucson and the Tucson Police Department held a City Deployment Cleanup event Wednesday along Alvernon Way to connect unhoused residents struggling with homelessness and addiction to resources and services. The efforts, which includes mental health counseling, substance abuse rehabilitation, and housing assistance, though officials say federal budget cuts and the transient nature of the unhoused population present significant challenges.
- Law enforcement identifies people struggling on the streets, and if a criminal offense is found, the person appears before a judge via video to determine next steps before being connected to services through Primavera and County Justice Services.
- Mayor Romero said federal budget cuts have made funding the program more difficult and called for investments from both Pima County and the State of Arizona.
- Lt. Corcoran acknowledged the program is not a short-term solution, noting that the unhoused population tends to move to other areas when law enforcement floods a specific location.
A City Deployment Cleanup event was held Wednesday morning along near a Dairy Queen along Alvernon Way — an area police say has some of the highest numbers of unhoused residents in the city.
The deployment team hit the streets aiming to connect people struggling with homelessness and addiction to resources and services.
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero was out alongside Tucson Police Department officers during the event.
"The goal is not to incarcerate. The goal is to find resources and solutions," Romero said.
Lt. Brian Corcoran, who oversees TPD's Community Outreach and Resource Engagement, said one of the main goals is implementing a long-term solution — but he noted there are significant challenges.
"This is not a short-term solution," Corcoran said.
"It's tough. The population itself seems to move around, so once we flood an area like this they may start to vacate into other areas, and that's when we need to reassess where we're going," Corcoran said.
Romero said recent federal budget cuts have made funding the program more difficult.
"With the federal government cutting funds to be able to do programs like this, we do need investments from both Pima County and the State of Arizona," Romero said.
Here is how the process works: Law enforcement heads out and identifies a person who is struggling on the streets. If a criminal offense is found, the person appears before a judge via video, who then determines next steps.
"We will put them over to the transition center to go ahead and get assessed for services with what best suits their needs," Corcoran said.
Services include mental health counseling, substance abuse rehabilitation, and housing assistance — provided through Primavera and the County Justice Services.
The city is expected to share more about what is next for this project on Thursday. KGUN 9 will have more as developments come out.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Marc Monroy joined KGUN 9 as a multimedia journalist after moving from KGUN 9’s sister station, KXXV, in Waco, Texas. He graduated from California State University, Northridge, in 2024 with a degree in journalism. A native of Southern California and a bilingual reporter, Marc is excited to serve Southern Arizona and looks forward to connecting with neighbors in the community. Share your story ideas and important issues with Marc by emailing marc.monroy@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
