SPOKANE, Wash. — One week after Spokane introduced a camping ban, police have given out 83 citations, and fewer than 10 people have gone to jail. The goal of these new rules is to clear the streets and help homeless individuals access treatment services.
The Safe and Accessible Public Spaces Emergency Ordinance, which passed last Monday, prohibits camping citywide and offers homeless individuals a choice between citation or accepting a ride to treatment and services.
Police say they cited 83 people in the six days after it passed. The chief said during our interview that those citations equate to arrests. He said fewer than 10 of them were taken to jail…