In an attempt to address public safety concerns amidst the city’s homelessness crisis, Long Beach has asked its city staff to explore methods of enforcement for “unsafe uses of public spaces.”
The original item, brought forward by councilmember Kristina Duggan, asked staff to explore enforcement mechanisms regarding camping in public spaces.
The item requested staff to research guidelines on the size, structure and cleanliness of encampments, encampments that limit or discourage public access, prohibited “sensitive” areas such as schools, major economic drivers and waterways, prohibitions based on times and availability of shelter beds, and sanctioned campsites.
Many residents accused the council of criminalizing homelessness, while others (most of whom lived in the third district) asked the city to crack down on public spaces, prompting council members to suggest multiple substitutes.
The original motion to research “unlawful uses of public space” was replaced to focus less on enforcement and more on “unsafe uses of public spaces.” The new item, suggested by councilmembers Cindy Allen and Al Austin, still asks city staff to research and report how other cities are dealing with homeless encampments in public spaces, but specifies that it will be research-oriented and focus on what the city can and can’t do.
The report will be presented to the City Council as part of the six-month homelessness local emergency update in August. City staff will also inform councilmembers on existing restrictions under Martin v. Boise, which requires cities to “provide valid alternatives before enforcing camping laws.”
Duggan presented the item, saying that residents in Belmont Shore have been asking for increased public safety measures following an incident where a homeless resident stabbed multiple people on May 30.
She called for a “caring yet firm” approach and wanted to look into “parameters to have for people who are not accepting services.” Duggan said that since the city has been working on outreach and services for the duration of the local emergency, many people have had a chance to receive services.
“If services are being offered but not accepted, I think it’s reasonable to look at not allowing sleeping up against an elementary school … or to say you have to maintain access to sidewalks and libraries,” Duggan said.
Mayor Rex Richardson said that following high-profile incidents, council members are often “pressured” to take measures regarding public safety.
“I think some of the language I’m hearing tonight about accepting services almost feels like it’s linking it to people’s right to be treated with dignity and that kind of rhetoric really concerns me.”
Councilmember Joni Ricks-Oddie.
Councilmembers Mary Zendejas and Daryl Supernaw supported the item, pointing out that it only asks city staff to research the topic, not issue new enforcements.
“I understand that criminalizing homelessness is not the solution and I do not believe that’s the intent of this item,” Zendejas said.
Public comment from residents was split between people accusing the council of criminalizing homelessness and people arguing for the necessity of public use enforcements. Some residents asked the city to implement more outreach teams to offer services instead while others said that the best way to get homeless people to accept services is to “take apart” their encampments.
Policies from other cities include:
- The City of Eugene prohibits camping within 1,000 feet of educational facilities which includes daycares and libraries.
- The City of Los Angeles prohibits encampments within specific areas of the city.
- The City of Portland approved a prohibition on camping between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
- The City of Mountain View prohibits RV camping on all streets outside the 3-mile designated area.
- The City of San Jose prohibits encampments within 150 feet of heavily traveled school walking routes.
- The City of San Diego adds protections for waterways.
- The City of Elk Grove requires camping areas to be kept clean and free of garbage, debris, and waste.
- The City of Las Vegas has made it a misdemeanor to camp or sleep in the public right-of-way downtown and in all residential areas if space is available at a shelter.
Vice Mayor Cindy Allen said that she could not support any “policy options” in the item as she had questions about what enforcement would look like. She suggested a substitute item to receive and file the presentation with the six-month homelessness update.
Duggan and Supernaw reiterated that their original motion was already to receive and file the presentation, but other council members agreed with the substitute.
Councilmember Roberto Uranga said he feared any enforcement would open the city up to lawsuits surrounding Martin v. Boise. Councilmember Joni Ricks-Oddie said that homeless residents can refuse services for a variety of reasons, and it does not mean they’re “happy being on the street.”
“I think some of the language I’m hearing tonight about accepting services almost feels like it’s linking it to people’s right to be treated with dignity and that kind of rhetoric really concerns me,” Ricks-Oddie said.
Councilmembers Suely Saro and Megan Kerr spoke against the item, saying that the city should continue to double down on providing outreach, services, shelter beds and affordable housing rather than enforcement.
“To move forward with this is to move backwards…what we see today is symptomatic of what we have put into our system,” Saro said.
Councilmember Al Austin suggested another substitute item that removed the words “unlawful uses” and combined the presentation with the six-month report, including what police can and can’t do, what other cities are doing about public spaces, tools staff needs to continue providing services and possible safe passage programs.
The six-month update is expected in front of the council in August.
Related Posts:
