Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/157038
Sarasota News Leader August 23, 2013 Page 14 and county governments have decided how Commissioners Carolyn Mason and Charles to proceed. Hines also have visited the shelter, Barbetta noted, as has Sheriff Tom Knight. That way, Barbetta said, "another six months of bureaucracy doesn't go by and [the report] Barbetta made the trip with City Commissiondoesn't get addressed." er Paul Caragiulo, Public Defender Larry Eger Barbetta added that he recently had taken a and the Rev. Tom Pfaff of the Sarasota Mintrip to the Safe Harbor homeless shelter built isterial Association, he told his fellow board in Pinellas County at Marbut's recommenda- members. tion. "It's a good system," he said. "It seems to During his visit to Safe Harbor, Hines pointed be working." out, he learned that if a homeless person is The facility even treats homeless people who stopped for having an open container of alcoare alcoholics, he noted. People with nowhere hol, the person has the option of going to the to live are able to get off the street, he con- facility — with no criminal charge — or gotinued, even during the daytime. Safe Har- ing to jail. Such a system in Sarasota County bor's staff works to help them reach a point would free up time the State Attorney/Public of self-sufficiency so they can get jobs and live Defender offices' staff members are committing to handling local arrests of the homeless, on their own again, he added. Commissioner Joe Barbetta responds to a fellow board member during the Aug. 20 workshop. Photo by Rachel Hackney