While many nonprofit volunteers work tirelessly to aid those without shelter, there is still a stigma around unhoused people. This stigma — fear of those who exhibit behaviors congruent with mental illness — often leads to reports of unhoused people to police as "suspicious persons."
Sandy Police Chief Ernie Roberts told Pamplin Media Group that the department receives several calls regarding unhoused people, ranging in severity from the presence of "suspicious persons" to unwanted camping to issues involving inebriation or an episode related to mental illness.
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