INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla. — Indian River County has launched an unconventional solution to help people experiencing homelessness stay warm during cold snaps like the one that hit this week.
Sheriff Eric Flowers said there is often a small group of people experiencing homelessness who commit crimes to find shelter during cold weather. That trend prompted county leaders to roll out "Operation Frostbite" this year.
The program opens a section of the jail to those who would otherwise commit misdemeanor crimes in cold weather.
"Sometimes it would be criminal mischief," Flowers said. "They break a window like on an abandoned house or something and then call it in, or they might walk into a convenience store and steal some beer and then sit on the curb and wait for us to show up."
Flowers said people who take advantage of "Operation Frostbite" stay in a section of the jail away from inmates.
