The Fremont Council approves a strict ordinance aimed at homeless bearings – CBS San Francisco

FreMont officials approved a strict new ordinance banning the homeless camps throughout public property, which included a controversial provision that sparked concerns among workers who provide information about the madman.

In a meeting that lasted several hours, the city confirmed in front of the CBS News Bay area that the Council approved the regulation with 6-1 votes shortly before midnight. Mayor Raj Salvan was among those who voted for the ordinance, while Deputy Mayor Desri Campbell was the lone vote of disagreement.

The Ordinance makes illegal camping or maintaining a camp on any public property in the city, including streets, sidewalks, parks, open spaces and waterways. The types of camping covered by the Regulation include tents together with vehicles.

The camping of private property will only be resolved with the consent of the property owner and is limited to three consecutive nights.

Another provision of the measure also prohibits the preservation of personal belongings of public property.

The measure also includes a provision in which it states: “Any person who causes, resolves, assists, prompts or conceals a violation of this chapter is guilty of a crime and can be prosecuted as a crime and, after sentence is a fine that is not a fine that is not a fine that is not a fine that is not a fine that is not a fine that is not a fine that is not a fine that is not a fine that is not a fine that is not is a fine that is not a fine that is not a fine that is not a fine that is not a fine that is not a fine that is not a fine that is not a fine that exceeds $ 1,000.00 or imprisonment in prison of the city or county for a period of not more than six months or by such a fine and imprisonment. “

Organizations that provide unhoused services expressed anxiety about the languageSaying that this can break the confidence of the people they are trying to serve.

Vivian Van, CEO of Rebode Services, worried what this could mean for non -profit workers that started in Fremont.

“In fact, I think the police will round off the workers in a dwelling service? Do I really think they will arrest the nun’s sandwich? I doubt,” Wang told CBS News Bay Area before the Tuesday meeting. “However, this perception in itself can break this connection with the people who interest us. Honestly, it is an insult to my values. This is an insult to our organization. It is an insult to the community I love.”

WAN also pointed to the most new Fremont data, which shows a 21% reduction in homelessness from 2022.

Salvan told CBS News Bay Kevin Ko before the meeting that the ordinance was not intended to target workers in the field, adding that it was open to amendment and/or changing the language in the proposal.

“We need [outreach workers]S They are our army. So I think it is wrongly interpreted that we are trying to punish people for help. Absolutely not, ”Salvan said. – People can give water, food, tents. They can help these people [and] Make information. We want to make sure we are compassionate, but we are just trying to prevent safety concerns. “

Salvan said the approach to reduce homelessness through Fremon’s movement would be “compassionate and use common sense”.