Long Beach to expand homelessness response, using anti-camping laws when necessary

Following the Supreme Court's ruling that local laws which restrict sleeping or camping in public places may be enforced, the City of Long Beach has said it will turn to anti-camping laws when appropriate. 

Deputy City Manager Teresa Chandler wrote in an August 12 memorandum that Long Beach will enforce anti-camping ordinances as an additional tool -- noting that the citations alone will not solve or reduce overall rates of homelessness. 

Chandler said the city will continue to lead with a "human-centered approach," with outreach and offering services to ensure experiences of homelessness are brief.  

The city will apply enforcement, issuing citations or arrests, to address areas where there is a threat to public health or safety when other solutions aren't working.  This includes dealing with encampments that obstruct access to places like parks, libraries and beaches. 

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said the goal is not to criminalize homelessness, but rather "this new capacity should be used as a tool to encourage more folks into the services that we have"

"This is not a license to wholesale arrest our way out of the homeless problem, because that's not really a solution," Richardson said. He noted enforcement of anti-camping ordinances should be used as a tool to encourage people into services the city offers from shelters, permanent supportive housing, mental health outreach and other services.    

Long Beach police are to use their discretion when enforcing anti-camping laws, allowing officers to focus on criminal conduct associated with encampments and chronic complaints about them. 

Services and housing will continue to be the city's priority in responding to homelessness. "The City has been, and will continue to invest in proven long-term solutions, including meeting basic needs, providing supportive services, and providing immediate access to temporary and permanent housing," Chandler wrote in the memorandum.  

The Supreme Court June 28 ruling overturns the previous legal precedent which ruled that enforcement of ordinances restricting camping or sleeping in public spaces without first offering adequate, available shelter options constituted a violation of the U.S. Constitution's Eighth Amendment cruel and unusual punishment clause.