SPOKANE, Wash. – The US Supreme Court ruled that cities are allowed to ban homeless people from sleeping outside of homes on Friday, giving Spokane law enforcement more leeway to bring charges against houseless people.
The Spokane Police Department (SPD) says that the ruling opens the way for police to cite people for sleeping within 1,000 feet of a park, daycare or school.
“Illegal camping is a misdemeanor and the citation is to community court where offenders are offered services and options to encourage them to take steps toward choices other than camping on streets, sidewalks, parks, and other spaces,” SPD Interim Chief Justin Lundgren said.
Under previous US case law, police couldn’t charge someone with illegal camping if there wasn’t sufficient shelter space within the city. Following last week’s Grants Pass v. Johnson ruling, there are no such stipulations for charging someone for being homeless. However, the SPD says that arrests will depend upon a number of factors.
“Officers will respond to illegal camping complaints as able and warranted, depending on the particular situation, other calls for service, and staffing. The ruling in essence gives police another tool to address the homeless/camping crisis in Spokane,” Lundgren said.
The 2023 homeless Point-in-Time count studying housing issues in Spokane published in early June found that more unhoused people slept in shelters last year rather than living on the streets. It also found an overall decrease in the city’s homeless population.
