MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — A letter written by Mobile Chief of Staff James Barber claims that the Biloxi Police Department and the City of Biloxi have played a role in Mobile’s increased homeless population.

According to the letter, interviews with some of the homeless people allegedly from Biloxi have suggested that Biloxi police insinuated that the homeless person is violating one or more criminal statutes.

The officer then implies that Biloxi does not have “adequate social services programs” to assist the homeless, according to the letter.

It is then implied that the officer will either take them to jail or they can be taken to Mobile, leading the officer to drive the homeless to Mobile and drop them off near a shelter, the letter states.

Barber also accuses Biloxi of offering help to the homeless and dropping them off in Mobile.

WKRG News 5 reached out to the City of Biloxi for comment and received a letter in response to Barber’s accusations.

“Since August 2022, the City has worked with two shelters in Mobile that offer homeless persons numerous resources not available in our community,” read the letter written by Biloxi Mayor A.M. Glitch, Jr. “These shelters have been in coordination and contact with our police department, and any individuals wanting to go to the Mobile shelters have signed consent forms.

“Since August of last year, there have been less than twenty transports. During the 2023 calendar year, only two people were offered transportation and assistance to the shelters.”

You can read both the city letters below.

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