Two city council members have submitted a proposal that could ban day camping across Sacramento. The proposal from council members Eric Guerra and Rick Jennings would ban camping during the daytime city-wide. It also says those people would be given a place to store their belongings.Mark Merin is an attorney and civil rights advocate who has reservations about the proposal.”How about the shelter that the individual requires? That’s what has to be provided. And there’s no thought about doing that in this silly and ill-conceived attempt to circumvent constitutional law,” Merin said.Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg sent KCRA 3 News this statement in response to the proposal:“Three months ago we launched a new incident command approach to reducing homelessness, led by our fire department. As a result, the number of encampments has visibly declined. Our city manager says he will soon announce a new safe camping site that is a key piece of our two-pronged approach, which includes enforcing our ordinances and providing a place for people to go. We need to stay the course.” “The reality is, you can’t do it. You’d need 10 times the police officers that are now on the on the force to actually do anything, to move people and then to seize their stuff and to store it. Millions of dollars in absolutely wasted money to try to just prevent homeless people from being visible,” Merin said.The proposal must be heard by the law and legislation committee before it can go to the full city council.That meeting is now planned for Jan. 16.
Two city council members have submitted a proposal that could ban day camping across Sacramento.
The proposal from council members Eric Guerra and Rick Jennings would ban camping during the daytime city-wide. It also says those people would be given a place to store their belongings.
Mark Merin is an attorney and civil rights advocate who has reservations about the proposal.
“How about the shelter that the individual requires? That’s what has to be provided. And there’s no thought about doing that in this silly and ill-conceived attempt to circumvent constitutional law,” Merin said.
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg sent KCRA 3 News this statement in response to the proposal:
“Three months ago we launched a new incident command approach to reducing homelessness, led by our fire department. As a result, the number of encampments has visibly declined. Our city manager says he will soon announce a new safe camping site that is a key piece of our two-pronged approach, which includes enforcing our ordinances and providing a place for people to go. We need to stay the course.”
“The reality is, you can’t do it. You’d need 10 times the police officers that are now on the on the force to actually do anything, to move people and then to seize their stuff and to store it. Millions of dollars in absolutely wasted money to try to just prevent homeless people from being visible,” Merin said.
The proposal must be heard by the law and legislation committee before it can go to the full city council.
That meeting is now planned for Jan. 16.
