The state police worked with multiple police departments, and Project NOW. Dwight Ford is the Executive Director of Project NOW.
"It gives a, sort of, set of tools as what to think about the lexicon, low barrier shelters, and where are they located here," he said. "It gives a idea about outreach and engagement, where are these individuals going to receive services."
"It talks about coordinated entry and harm reduction as well. You'll get a chance to see individuals with lived experiences, individuals who have experienced homelessness."
Ford says the "face of homelessness" is changing.
"People are being priced out, it's a part of the housing crisis nationally," Ford said. "And so what we're discovering is it's not just a simple individual that may be in need."
"More often than not, it's a woman with children sleeping in a Walmart parking lot trying to provide some sense of lighting and safety, and washing up in a Casey's bathroom, and sending the kids off to school."
Moline Police Chief Darren Gault says the guide will be a "template for individual jurisdictions" in Illinois.
"Navigating this issue has always been a problem, in my lengthy career in law enforcement, and I know I speak for my fellow chiefs and the sheriff in the areas," Gault said. "It's difficult to know what resources are available, how to respond. This isn't training that we get very much on, that we have expertise in."
Gault says police officers aren't well trained to help people experiencing homelessness.
"Homelessness is not a crime, yet like many other societal ills, law enforcement gets the call to answer that problem, and we are that 24/7, 365 days a year, response network."
Police in Rock Island County will now be able to use a new online directory developed by Project NOW.
Community Services Director Ron Lund says earlier this month, over 340 people in our community were without homes. The new directory could help connect them with local resources.
"Too often in our relationship, it depended on that individual officer. What information do they have at their fingertips at two o'clock in the morning while they're working with someone trying to find them housing. Because you have the internet, and you have whoever is on the other end of the line at dispatch, that's it."
Lund says the project took nine months to complete.
"It will allow each individual nonprofit agency to get in, and update their own information, so that information is always live and always accurate."
"You can go in and you can type in exactly what you're looking for. It could be food, it could be housing, it could be utility assistance, anything that you're looking for in the community, could be a hospital."
The directory will be used by police, but will be made available to the public.
Ford says, starting next year, the state is planning to certify new officers using the guidebook.
