Spokane police enforce new ordinance affecting local homeless population

SPOKANE, Wash. – Spokane police have begun enforcing the recently approved Safe & Accessible Spaces Ordinance, logging over 300 contacts and issuing more than 100 citations for camping in public spaces.

Once cited, individuals are free to leave, but the city does not track where they go next.

In the first week, 34 out of 300 people contacted by police accepted services. If services are rejected, officers can issue a citation, allowing the person to leave. Police track citations and warnings but not the subsequent whereabouts of individuals…

Story continues

TRENDING NOW

LATEST LOCAL NEWS