The Altoona Police Department has recently formed a response team to help connect homeless people in the greater downtown to social service agencies.

Starting a few weeks ago, the team has begun to identify homeless people, speak with them, determine what they may need and then refer them to the appropriate agencies for help, according to Deputy Police Chief Derek Swope, who spoke after a City Council meeting Monday.

“We’re trying to be a bridge,” Swope said.

For several years, there have been about a dozen homeless people living in the downtown, whose presence has attracted the attention of his department, business people and others in the community, Swope said.

The subject of homelessness came up at the meeting when downtown businessman Bill Scully complained of it to council.

While he’s become acquainted with some of the homeless people in the downtown, their presence collectively has caused problems with trash and sanitary issues, Scully said.

One homeless person cavalierly dismissed his leaving of trash around by saying it’s the job of city workers to clean it up, Scully said.

And twice within one week, he found human feces that he had to clean up, he said.

“It’s gotten a little out of control,” Scully said.

“We’re very aware of this problem,” including the use by some people of the 13th Street crossover as a toilet, said Mayor Matt Pacifico.

The city has tried to discourage that by placing portajohns near Heritage Plaza, he said.

The city and area agencies have tried to help by creating a warming center in the winter and by providing meals, places to keep cool and other kinds of aid, Ellis said.

“We’re trying,” Pacifico said. “(But) it’s not an easy fix.”

Homelessness tends to tax the city’s resources, including those provided by the police and fire departments, Ellis said.

Often, when one homeless person is directed toward help, “more (homeless people) seem to appear,” Ellis said.

One type of help that he rejects is the provision of tents and sleeping bags, Ellis said.

What’s needed instead is solutions for the fundamental causes, he said.

As with blight, homelessness is generally the symptom of deeper problems, said Councilman Dave Butterbaugh.

The underlying or “root” causes often include mental health issues, he said.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.