The city of Oceanside on Wednesday approved adjustments to its homelessness policy to make it easier to remove encampments from public land, following a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year and a recent spate of violence.
Last weekend, two homeless men were found bludgeoned to death, one on a riverbed in San Luis Rey and the other on the railroad tracks near Oceanside Boulevard. On September 18th, a third person was stabbed multiple times near a riverbed, but survived. The suspect has not been arrested and it is unclear whether the suspect is connected to the incident.
Oceanside City Councilman Ryan Keim said Wednesday that homeless camps are not safe for anyone, whether it’s the people living in the camps or anyone else in the community.
“I don’t want to criminalize homelessness,” Keim said. “But we have a duty to keep our people safe…people who walk the sidewalks, take their kids to school, use the parks, go to the beaches.”
The goal is not to put someone in jail, but to get unsheltered people into programs and services that can help improve their lives, he said.
“If there’s 100 people in another camp and there’s something like a fentanyl overdose, we have to be able to clean it up,” Keim said. “As we’ve seen this week, it’s not safe here. Our homeless camps are not safe for the people who live there.”
The proposed ordinance would remove the city’s requirement to provide a shelter or motel voucher and transportation to such facilities before enforcing the ban on camping in public places. . The notice period required before removing personal property from public places will also be reduced from 48 hours to 24 hours.
The ordinance is scheduled to go into effect immediately after second approval by the Oceanside City Council and is the result of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June. The court overturned a 2018 Martin v. City of Boise Court of Appeals decision that quickly enforcing a camping ban could result in cruel and unusual punishment.
The City Council voted 4-1 in favor of the change, with Councilman Eric Joyce voting against it. Mr Joyce said increased enforcement was the wrong approach to homelessness.
“They end up going to the shadows, the same shadows where two people were murdered last week,” Joyce said.
“I need my colleagues to understand that this is not the solution,” he says. “We cannot take any action that creates further harm, worsens the situation and makes it difficult to reach people.”
The city spends millions of dollars each year fighting homelessness. The first year-round homeless navigation center opened in 2023, but the shelter’s 50 beds were full. Among other efforts, the city has established separate transitional and permanent supportive housing programs and two homeless assistance teams, each with a police officer and a social worker, who provide daily contact with unsheltered populations. I’m taking it.
Yet many repeatedly refuse shelter, counseling, treatment programs, and other services.
“This will give people the ability to call the police and see action taken,” Councilor Rick Robinson said, adding that the changes would give police the tools they need to crack down. .
“We need to recognize that homelessness doesn’t just affect people living on the streets,” said City Councilor Peter Weiss.
Police Capt. Scott Garrett said the changes will not affect the department’s homeless outreach efforts.
“We will continue to treat everyone with dignity and respect,” Garrett said. “Enforcement does not mean a person will be sent to jail. At most, a summons will be issued.”
He said those who agree to receive services may have their fines waived, warrants issued, and in some cases “may finally get the help they desperately need.” .
About a dozen residents spoke to council about the issue. Frequent Conservative speaker Richard Newton welcomed the change, saying it showed “no respect” to the homeless.
“They’re not paying taxes and they’re putting a strain on the system,” Newton said. “I pay taxes and I don’t want to see them. They are a bane to the city and a burden to all responsible citizens.”
Some took a more lenient view, but agreed that enforcement could be improved. And there were those who opposed any change.
“Homelessness is not a crime,” said Jason Coker, co-senior pastor of Oceanside Sanctuary Church. “This is a social problem that requires compassionate, dignified, long-term solutions.”
Mayor Esther Sanchez initially made a motion to return the draft ordinance to city staff to develop a more comprehensive approach. However, seeing a lack of support, she withdrew the motion.
The City Council also voted 4-1 to hold a community workshop on an undetermined date to discuss a long-term, comprehensive approach to homelessness, with Weiss voting against it.
First published: October 10, 2024 at 4:48 p.m.
