Medford is a city with a population of approximately 85,000 people located in Southern Oregon. Over the last several years, Medford, along with many other municipalities throughout the United States, has experienced a dramatic increase in its homeless population.

In October 2017, the Medford Police Department (MPD) began developing a proactive plan to address the growing population of people experience homelessness, coupled with the criminal conduct of bullying and intimidating behavior, occurring in the downtown area and along the Bear Creek Greenway, which is a 20-mile paved, multiuse pathway that traverses multiple cities in Southern Oregon.