Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons is speaking out after what he says is the second documented time the Orange Beach Police Department has relocated an unhoused person to Pensacola without warning the Florida agency.

On Thursday, May 28, Simmons told GCM he had a deputy near Waterfront Mission, an organization that provides shelter and food to homeless people, who spotted a marked OBPD cruiser. When the ECSO deputy asked the OBPD officer if he needed help, the OBPD officer told him he was dropping off an individual at the shelter with money to fund a short stay.

In a Facebook post later that day, Simmons wrote: “Why is this happening? Orange Beach Police Department ‘homeless relocation unit’ recently traveled the 30 miles or so to Escambia County, FL to drop off an individual. Surely someone in Alabama has a heart to provide necessary services. Our tax dollars should NOT go to provide services to the entire southeast.”

Simmons said this is not the first time this has occurred. Eight months ago, his office was contacted with reports of an individual being dropped off by OBPD. According to Simmons, his chief deputy reached out to then-interim OBPD Chief David “Trent” Johnson, who confirmed the incident. It wasn’t clear where the person was dropped off other than that it happened in Pensacola.

Simmons said he has heard of other “entities” relocating people to his jurisdiction.

When asked about the incident from eight months ago, Orange Beach City Administrator Ford Handley told GCM while he hopes that the agencies can work together going forward, “I’m not going to air everything out there, but I think he’s got some misinformation,” Handley said, noting he was still looking into the matter. “This is not a regular occurrence, there’s a lot of different extenuating circumstances.”

“We shared our concerns about it,” Simmons said.

He added that he decided then to keep the original incident between the two agencies but after Thursday’s relocation felt he needed to let residents know about the situation.

“I think it’s important for Escambia County residents to understand that their tax dollars are being used for these individuals that are being transported, bussed here from other entities, and I don’t think that’s the right way to do it,” he said. "The bottom line is, they give him money and then ultimately that money will run out and this individual will be on the streets of Escambia County and we’ll have to deal with that drain on our resources."

Handley, who spoke to Simmons on Thursday, said he was surprised by the sheriff’s social media post, but added he is looking forward to a meeting with Simmons and ECSO.

“We look forward to sitting down together and getting all the facts out there because we have never had a conversation before today,” Handley said.

Shortly after speaking with GCM, the City of Orange Beach posted a statement on social media:

"Orange Beach Response to Escambia County Sheriff Post