SPOKANE, Wash. — Members of the Spokane City Council plan to introduce a new ordinance aimed at addressing public camping and obstruction issues across the city. The proposal, titled “Safe and Accessible Spaces,” will be presented during Monday’s Public Safety and Community Health Committee meeting.
The ordinance would make camping and obstruction of all public property — including sidewalks, rights-of-way, and private property entrances — illegal. It would also give Spokane Police Department officers discretion to either offer services to individuals willing to accept them or to issue citations, with escalating penalties for repeat violations.
In addition to regulating public camping, the proposal includes measures designed to protect waterways and public trees, prevent illegal fires and hazardous litter, and address misuse in transit facilities and stops…