SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors is set to vote on an amendment to the county code that would empower law enforcement to remove homeless individuals from public property without the necessity of providing shelter options.
This decision, anticipated for Nov. 5, follows a Supreme Court ruling from June, which many jurisdictions have interpreted as permitting the removal of homeless encampments.
The proposed changes would grant sheriff’s deputies broader authority to clear homeless camps and would simplify existing regulations by expanding the ban on camping from critical infrastructure to encompass all public property.
Under the new rules, officials would be required to give individuals residing in encampments 48 hours' notice before any clearing occurs, except in cases where there is an immediate threat to public health or safety or when the encampment is within 1,000 feet of a shelter.
District Attorney Thien Ho expressed support for the amendments, describing the approach as "compassionate enforcement."
He emphasized that the changes aim to help law enforcement navigate what constitutes an illegal encampment more effectively, while maintaining enforcement levels similar to those of the past year.
However, local advocates, such as Jon Ingraham from Powerhouse Ministries in Folsom, raised concerns that these changes could lead to increased displacement of homeless individuals, pushing them to areas with fewer resources.
Sacramento County Undersheriff Mike Ziegler reassured the Board that these changes would not alter the operational focus of the sheriff's office, which aims to address crimes committed against homeless individuals, such as domestic violence and sexual assault.
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