The Austin City Council is seeing the results it wants from relaxed enforcement of camping in public.
For the entire month of July, the Austin Police Department says it issued zero citations for people camping in downtown, despite a flood of complaints from businesses and citizens alike.
APD Assistant Chief Justin Newsom says officers have very little enforcement power to deal with the slew of complaints made since the city relaxed enforcement of camping in public.
“So if you’re able to navigate through it, reasonably, then we’re not allowed to take enforcement action.”
He says only people creating a safety hazard or completely blocking a walkway can be asked to move.
A town hall meeting that will address the public order ordinances and the homeless is scheduled for August 21 at the Austin Convention Center.
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