The new Florida law banning people experiencing homelessness from sleeping or camping overnight on public property took effect Tuesday, putting local governments under a time crunch to come up with solutions to avoid being sued.
A concern for some is whether the new law means homeless people will be arrested solely for sleeping in public places. In South Florida, elected officials and several law enforcement agencies say that’s not the plan.
Both the Broward Sheriff’s Office and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office have said they don’t intend to start making arrests, and some cities and counties agree that arrests are not the first option they plan to pursue.
In Palm Beach County, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, the mayor and county administrator are in agreement, PBSO spokesperson Teri Barbera in an email this week. “… we cannot arrest our way out of this problem and need a multifaceted approach to address it,” the email said.
Fort Lauderdale feeling the pressure to come up with homeless fix