Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade shared that officers will begin mandatory training next week on how to enforce new state laws targeting solicitation, squatters and homeless encampments.
The state laws that passed earlier this year and went into effect on July 1 were: House Bill 1197, the “Safe Solicitation Act,” which requires those panhandling to get a permit that can cost up to $25 per day; HB 1200, the “Real Property Owners Protection Act”, which expedites the process of removing squatters; and HB 1203, which prohibits camping on public property.
Violating the policies could result in hundreds of dollars in fines and months-long jail sentences…