Sherman R. Frederick
Marinscope
Federal courts split another baby in the ongoing tussle between California cities and homeless advocates.
Elected officials representing the people of San Rafael passed restrictive camping rules designed to spread out the homeless and prevent large encampments. Large encampments of homeless people promote an increase in crime and drug use, the city reasoned, with crime stats to prove it.
But homeless advocates maintained rules that further isolate the homeless are worse. They can make the weak susceptible to becoming victims themselves and it robs those in the most need of a community upon which to lean on.
Initially, Senior U.S. District Court Judge Edward Chen stopped San Rafael from implementing the camping rules. In his newest ruling, Judge Chen allowed the city to implement the new rules but with a modification that essentially doubles the size of homeless campsites to 400 square feet with each campsite housing up to four people. The distance between campsites was reduced from 200 feet to 100 feet.
Homeless advocates called it a partial victory. The city of San Rafael indicated the compromise eroded the effectiveness of the initial idea, but it is studying the ruling more closely to understand how and when it can enforce the camping restrictions allowed by Judge Chen.
(You can reach the writer via email at ShermFrederick@gmail.com.)
Its really a shame. Some advocate is dictating what a city can and can’t do. As usual the few out duel the mass. Are we not concerned about sanitation ?. The constant ugliness of all these sites. Are tax paying people just somehow suppose to swallow what a few people want?. My city continues to look and act more like San Francisco. And SF is a crap hole. To bad we didnt elect people with the guts and strength to fix this mess. And now we have nothing but enablers. 1. Offer services and housing. If not accepted. 2 . offer to arrest them. And they don’t want that then 3. Move along. You have signs all over town. That says you can’t. But reality is you can.
Sleep anywhere you want camp anywhere you want. We Need bigger people than ones we elected. These people are cowards. No wonder people are fleeing California.