A unique ID card program in Fayetteville, NC is helping the homeless find an identity, and in some cases, much more. The program was launched by Officer Tracy Swinton of the Fayetteville Police Department in 2005. Swinton realized that without proper identification, the city’s homeless men and women are essentially anonymous. It’s difficult for them to get decent jobs, gain acceptance to shelters, enroll in classes, and certainly impossible to open any sort of bank account. But since the program’s inception, members of Fayetteville’s homeless community have used their ID cards to achieve all of those things.

Additionally, the ID cards make it possible for police to identify the homeless in cases where they must be roused awake or arrested. Police can monitor and keep track of specific individuals, and the ID cards allow them to collect data which can prove useful in the city’s 10-year plan to end homelessness.
While Swifton initially printed paper cards with an ordinary printer, she now uses a system that includes a digital camera and a printer specifically designed to print hard plastic ID cards. A Basic Photo ID System would allow these cards to be printed quickly and cost-effectively.
Allen Briscoe is one of the program’s success stories. Briscoe had dreams of becoming an emergency medical technician, but without proper ID couldn’t take classes, and was even being turned away at homeless shelters. Upon obtaining a homeless ID card, Briscoe was able to acquire a birth certificate and a state-issued ID card. He picked up better jobs and saved enough money to take and complete a basic EMT class.
In order to obtain an ID card, a homeless person must visit Swifton’s office and fill out a form that asks for the following information:
Name
Date of birth
Alias
Next of kin
Crack, Cocaine, Heroin?
How long in Fayetteville? Where from?
Daytime and night time hangouts.
Additional information such as work history, criminal record, and description of clothing and possessions is also collected. A background check is then conducted to make sure the information is accurate before an ID card is issued.
All of this information is used in an effort to help the homeless achieve a better existance. It’s the Fayetteville Police Department’s hope that the ID cards will enable members of the homeless community to turn their lives around.
Read more in Up & Coming Magazine…