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When someone calls 911 about a person sleeping behind a business, sitting for hours on a park bench, or wandering in distress, the response in Coweta County usually begins the same way: a police officer arrives.
What happens next depends less on enforcement — and more on connection.
“It’s not illegal to be homeless,” Newnan Police Chief Brent Blankenship said. “We try to make some type of rapport with those we come in contact with so that we can provide some type of service to them.”
That distinction defines the role of law enforcement in Coweta. Officers are often the first point of contact with homelessness — but rarely the solution.
First contact: assessing the situation
Most encounters begin not with crime, but with concern.
A property owner may ask that someone leave. A resident may request a welfare check. Officers may encounter someone during routine patrol.
From there, officers assess what they’re seeing.
“You have some that just truly don’t have a place to stay,” Blankenship said. “And then you have some that are in a mental or substance abuse situation. We try to evaluate that so we can make the best decision possible.”
Arrests are not the norm.
“The only time they’re in trouble with the law is if they violate a law,” Blankenship said.
Coweta County Sheriff Lenn Wood said those violations are typically tied to other issues.
“We’ve had a couple of incidents with fighting in the camps,” Wood said. “Other than that, it’s really not much — maybe shoplifting here or there.”
Many, he added, are working in some capacity.
“Most of them are working, pick up jobs here and there, just to get enough money to buy some food.”
Familiar faces — and difficult choices
Officers often see the same individuals repeatedly.
“In our downtown area, there’s a few that we’re very familiar with,” Blankenship said. “Seeing them every day or every other day would be pretty common.”
Some are open to help. Others are not.
“Some are very appreciative and look for the help,” he said. “Sometimes we encounter some that really don’t want our help.”
That willingness can determine what happens next.
Sheriff Wood noted that addiction and mental health struggles often complicate those decisions — and can strain family relationships.
“Some of them have drug addictions,” he said. “And the families pretty much have quit dealing with them because they won’t get the treatment they need.”
Where police work ends
While officers are often first on the scene, they are not equipped to provide long-term solutions.
“We don’t have a social worker,” Blankenship said. “We have to work with our community.”
Instead, law enforcement relies on a network of local nonprofits and service providers.
Bridging the Gap offers food, laundry and showers. Coweta Cares responds to mental health crises. Coweta Force works with those battling addiction. ReStart Coweta focuses on longer-term stability for those willing and able to engage.
“We use those resources when we’re able to,” Blankenship said. “They make a huge impact in helping us.”
In many cases, officers provide information, make referrals or connect individuals with those organizations.
Sometimes, the interaction ends there.
A coordinated — but limited — system
Fire Chief Steven Brown said homelessness has not significantly changed emergency response patterns, highlighting how the issue often unfolds outside of crisis calls.
“If it was a large number, we’d know,” Brown said. “I haven’t seen a big issue tied to that.”
Instead, the system depends on coordination.
Police identify and assess. Nonprofits step in to provide services. Local leaders work toward broader housing solutions.
Each piece plays a role — but none can resolve the issue alone.
“I think we’re fortunate to have the resources we do,” Blankenship said. “Years ago, we didn’t have all these organizations to call.”
The limits of what exists
Even with those resources, gaps remain.
Some individuals decline help. Others do not qualify for available programs. Many face barriers — mental health, addiction, lack of transportation — that make stability difficult.
“There are times where we try to help, and it just doesn’t work,” Blankenship said. “Sometimes when we bring in another organization, it helps.”
But not always.
One call at a time
For the officers responding to homelessness across Coweta County, the work is not defined by sweeping solutions, but by individual encounters.
“It’s not all about showing up and putting somebody in jail,” Blankenship said. “It’s about trying to figure out what the best way is to help somebody.”
In a county with more services than many surrounding areas, that approach — assess, connect, refer — has become the front line.
And for now, it remains the system that exists.
View Part 1 of this series, Homelessness Hides in Plain Sight in Fayette
View Part 2 of this series, Coweta’s Safety Net Strains Under Growing Homelessness.
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