San Francisco ramps up policing of homeless camps, with the Supreme Court’s blessing

California, home to the country’s largest homeless population, is in the midst of a crackdown on illegal homeless encampments. Over the summer, Gov. Gavin Newsom vowed to take a tougher line against illegal tents and structures on state property.

Some cities have followed suit. San Francisco Mayor London Breed, facing a tough reelection campaign, announced more “aggressive” sweeps in a city long known for extensive encampments.

This push comes after a Supreme Court ruling in June that upheld local laws criminalizing camping on public property. It overturned an earlier ruling by the 9th Circuit that had cast doubt on the constitutionality of enforcing such laws in Western states.

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Michael Hood moves on from an illegal homeless encampment that’s just been swept by city workers. “It’s way different now. I never heard that if you’re homeless, you go to jail,” he says. San Francisco police are now empowered to “cite and release” people for “lodging” illegally in public or private spaces. (Martin Kaste / NPR)

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