SOUNDING OFF: How do we count our ‘victories’?

“Victory” is a term that a professional social worker would not use in describing the four case studies in Cindy Frazier’s column [“Lumberyard Logs: Victories on the streets,” Coastline Pilot, March 21]. I am sure President George W. Bush wished he had never flown to that aircraft carrier and announced our victory in Iraq five years ago.

I commend Officer Jason Farris for volunteering, and the city for putting in place the new “homeless beat officer.” I was unable to understand from the article if his job is to move the homeless along to the next beach city or to decrease the number of homeless in our jail. For what other groups are we “keeping track of their movements and whereabouts” in our great city? I applaud Farris for knowing that do-gooders giving money to the homeless is not the answer.

I am unable to figure out how the city, newspaper and public will evaluate this program. Will it be judged on:

1. The number of homeless on the street next year at this time?

2. A decrease in the number of police reports involving homeless individuals next year at this time?

3. New programs developed to attract homeless to Laguna Beach?

4. The amount of encouragement/money given to help individuals move to the next beach city?

A professional social worker would want to know the above baseline information and would then develop a program involving the Chamber of Commerce and all groups providing services.

The newspaper does not help the homeless by talking of “victories.” I only know “Cowboy” from reading the police reports over the years and I would hope the public will not evaluate this policing program negatively next time they see his name in the newspaper as being again incarcerated. Happy Social Work Month.

JAMES KELLY has a master’s degree in social work and is a Laguna Beach resident.