Senior lead officer Joe Cirrito of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Olympic Division ran 13.1 miles in uniform during the inaugural “Run to Remember” last Sunday and is training to run 26.2 miles in the Los Angeles Marathon on Feb. 14.

Officer Joe Cirrito of the LAPD’s Olympic Division ran in the “Run to Remember” in uniform last Sunday to honor his friend who died on 9/11. Cirrito plans to do the same in the Los Angeles Marathon on Feb. 14. (photo courtesy of Joe Cerrito)

Cirrito will run the upcoming marathon in uniform to draw attention to the positive work the department is doing in communities citywide. He launched a gofundme campaign to raise money for Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority (LAHSA) programs.

Cirrito, who has been with the LAPD since 2005 and the Olympic Division since 2009, said he noticed an increase in homelessness in the Olympic Division last spring and devised ways to help. The officer partnered with Steve Houchin, a Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office neighborhood prosecutor assigned to the Olympic Division, to develop a unique approach to addressing homelessness.

Together, they created Operation HOPE (Homeless Outreach Partnership Endeavor), in which Cirrito and Houchin link homeless people with services such as housing and healthcare. The police station’s administration supported the idea and made Operation HOPE Cirrito’s full-time assignment.

“I am really passionate about it and I have really learned a lot about homelessness,” Cirrito said. “To have this opportunity means so much to me.”

Cirrito is originally from New York and said he decided to pursue a career in law enforcement after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. His close friend, who worked for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, died while helping people in one of the World Trade Center towers.

Cirrito said he ran in the “Run to Remember” last Sunday in honor of his friend, Dominick Pezzullo. Cirrito was one of approximately 5,000 participants in the run, which started at The Grove and followed a route through Hollywood.

“The ‘Run to Remember’ was very important to me. It was an incredible experience,” Cirrito said. “I wanted to run in full uniform for all the officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.”

Houchin joined Cirrito in the “Run to Remember,” and they will both run in the Los Angeles Marathon. They will be joined by officer Kristina Tudor, of the LAPD’s Metropolitan Division, who will also run in her police uniform.

Cirrito said Operation HOPE is a work in progress and he constantly refines his approach. He said arresting and citing homeless people does nothing to help them permanently get off the streets. A better approach is linking them to services, which restores a sense of dignity and belonging, Cirrito said.

He cited the example of a woman with four children who was living in her car. Cirrito linked her with housing through a nonprofit called New Economics for Women.

“She was moving from place to place, but she always got her kids to school on time,” Cirrito said. “She was homeless for most of her life and we were able to get her housing.”

He also cited the example of a 68-year-old homeless man who was living with two dogs near Fourth and Berendo Streets. No shelter would allow the man to stay because of the dogs, and he was adamant about not leaving them behind. With the help of LAHSA, Cirrito eventually found a shelter that agreed to allow the man and the dogs to stay, but the dogs had to be in kennels. Cirrito and Houchin bought the man two portable kennels and helped him move off the street.

“The gentleman was chronically homeless, and he had a lot of issues,” Cirrito said. “We were able to help him solve one problem and that kept him from getting into a shelter. That’s the approach, it’s a little different. We are trying to get them resources that can help them so they can move forward.”

Houchin said Operation HOPE coincides with the City Attorney’s Office’s approach to addressing the causes of homelessness. He said it also fits his philosophy of having “boots on the ground” to address issues in the community.

“The relationship has been very, very good. The homeless people have been very responsive,” Houchin said. “Homelessness is a perfect example of how the traditional model [of arresting and citing people] doesn’t work. I can assist in working with property owners and stakeholders and help people find services. It’s a non-traditional approach for both a police officer and a prosecutor.”

Cirrito and Houchin said the goal is for Operation HOPE to serve as a model and expand to police divisions citywide. He said running in the Los Angeles Marathon, which he has done twice before, will raise awareness about the issue. He also hopes people will donate to the gofundme campaign at gofundme.com/lahsa.

“We hope to educate the public about the LAPD’s role,” Cirrito added. “I’ve been training really hard and it’s going to be a challenge. But it’s something I am very passionate about and something I believe in.”