MANTECA, Calif. — A decades long career in law enforcement has found Stephen Schluer as Manteca’s newest chief of police. And the new chief is on a mission to improve the quality of life for everyone living in his hometown.
One of the steps toward that goal is addressing the homeless population.
"The homeless issue is a big issue here for the city Manteca," said Chief Schluer.
In the past, Schluer said Manteca had dedicated one police officer assigned as a homeless liaison, a community resource officer that helps manage the homeless population.
To help meet the growing need for resources, they go out to the camps with various local organizations like faith-based groups, crisis response units or experts in mental health and veteran services.
"I decided to allocate more resources to it, and so now we have another full-time officer,” said Schluer.
He said there are also plans for a navigation center on North Main Street and transitional housing, which would provide medical, mental and behavioral health care.
“I have a commitment to our community to be transparent and to be involved in our community,” said Schluer.
With more than 27 years of law enforcement experience, the new chief has worked in many roles, including as a patrol officer, field training officer, traffic officer and in investigations for child abuse, robbery, homicide and more.
Beyond his duties, Schluer is involved in the community including serving as a member of the Manteca Unified School District school board and the Child Abuse Prevention Council for San Joaquin County.
Resources are available for the homeless population on 555 Industrial Park Drive in Manteca.
By the end of the month, Schluer said he expects two temporary dormitories to go up in that location, housing upward of 50 beds for the homeless population.
In the meantime, there are food services, showers, barbers and mental health care providers available at the current temporary navigation center until the new housing is built.
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