As communities in California continue to deteriorate due to crime, homelessness and failed leadership, the residents of Orange County have something to be very grateful for. Orange County remains the safest major county in California and homelessness has been reduced by 16.65% since I became district attorney three years ago. That includes a significant reduction in the number of homeless veterans and transitional youths.

None of this is by accident or coincidence. As your elected district attorney, I have been a leader in tackling the homelessness issue by championing innovative programs, including our FIRST Point pre-filing diversion program, mental health diversion, and collaborative courts, such as the homeless court, veterans court, and drug court. At the same time, I have refused to turn a blind eye to crime.

The dramatic reduction of homelessness in Orange County did not happen overnight; it is the result of years of proactive planning and aggressive action.  As a county supervisor, I fought to ensure the first countywide finally became a reality. The Bridges at Kraemer Place in Anaheim, which opened in 2017, humanely shelters those experiencing homelessness and provides services to residents.

I also led the efforts to clear the Santa Ana River bed of homeless encampments in 2018 while providing shelter and food vouchers to former residents. I insisted that the district attorney have a seat at the table on the county’s Commission to End Homelessness, and through my membership, I continue that longstanding leadership role.

Our comprehensive approach to reducing homelessness is working. The county is committed to a service first model, where services are offered to those who are experiencing homelessness.

Prosecuting violent criminals is one of my top priorities, but I also understand we cannot incarcerate our way out of homelessness, mental illness or substance abuse. That is why I created our Mental Health Unit and Recidivism Reduction Unit — to tackle the underlying issues of why people re-offend and help address them through court-ordered supportive programs. When people experiencing homelessness are caught up in the criminal justice system, we offer programs and services to help people stay out of the system and get back on a path to be a productive member of society.

Prosecutors do not control who the police decide to cite and release and who they decide to book into custody. At that point we have two options — we can reject the case and send these people suffering from addiction issues back on to the street, without any help, or we can file the case in the hopes of matching them with the services they need to successfully address their addiction and become productive members of society.

From 2017 to 2019, defendants charged with possession of drug paraphernalia were also charged by the OCDA’s office with at least one other criminal charge 65% of the time: 85% were charged with driving under the influence, and 84% were charged with driving with a blood alcohol content of .08% or more.

For the remaining defendants who were charged only with possession, 13% of those defendants were given diversion. A charge of misdemeanor possession charge allows individuals to be eligible for a variety of drug treatment and mental health programs — programs that they would otherwise never be offered if the charges were never filed. Addiction treatment doesn’t happen by turning our backs on the very people who need help.

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In April, we launched the FIRST Point pre-filing diversion program to help reduce recidivism by connecting individuals who commit low-level crimes with mental health and substance abuse services, before criminal charges are filed, so future work and education opportunities are not unnecessarily inhibited.

The program is being implemented in partnership with the Sheriff’s Department, the police departments of Seal Beach and Irvine, and the county’s Health Care Agency and Social Services Agency. Through continued innovation like FIRST Point and County partnerships with nearly 40 nonprofits that help place people into services and shelters, we are making our communities safer.

There is still much work to be done to address homelessness, mental illness and substance abuse issues, but the numbers speak for themselves: our efforts to reduce homelessness in Orange County are working. And we are just getting started.

Todd Spitzer is Orange County district attorney.