MARIETTA — In the wake of community concerns over the city’s homeless population, the City Council took action to crack down on disorderly conduct and allow police to charge people for being disruptive, without having committed a more serious crime.
The Marietta City Council voted 6-1, with Councilman Joseph Goldstein opposed, to expand the city’s disorderly conduct ordinance Wednesday evening.
The revised ordinance would not only address issues commonly associated with homelessness, such as aggressive panhandling and camping on private property, but also disruptive protests and disturbances to public meetings.
During Wednesday’s meeting, several residents and council members voiced concerns about city’s homeless population, sharing recent instances of aggressive behavior and public indecency.
Last month, Councilman Carlyle Kent called for a discussion about the volume of 911 calls being received from Shady Grove Baptist Church and the surrounding Bells Ferry corridor as a result of the large homeless population in the area.